RWBY: Derelicts In Black
by frozen thorn
Summary: Welcome to the Darkness. Ruby was a quiet outcast who hates & avoids crowds. Blake & Adam were adopted siblings who were shunned for their appearances. Ren was the black sheep of his village for being different. Four teens, shrouded in black, each similar yet each unique. What would happen if these Gothic souls were to meet at Beacon? AU, OCs, Gothic, Action, Fantasy, Superstition.
1. Red Trailer

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome the first trailer "RWBY: Derelicts In Black". Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to begin the Trailers.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

Red Trailer:

Peddles of snow gently blew down the cliff-side of the unnamed forest. The scene was like a winter wonderland with white as far as the eye could see. It covered over everything, the leafless trees, the ground, the few plants and shrubs that were here and there. It lay thickly on the ground once called dirt and grass, now becoming blankets of snow. Heavy mist swarmed around the cliff and forest thanks to the chilling winds rushing continuously down the terrain.

The sky was a cloudless momentary dark blue with the snowstorm still dropping small bits of snowflakes. The moon was full like a wraith-silver disc hanging in the lonely sky with illuminations filling the area. It gleamed brightly like sunlight reflecting off of the oceans. Off in the distance the gray shadows of dawn starting to rise just barely over the horizon calling for the night to end and a new day to begin.

Back on the Cliffside, near one of the edges, was a small, thick, rectangular stone stele; a sort of headstone or possible alter. As to why this headstone was here, one could only guess. In some way the presence of the slab added on to the beauty of the atmosphere around it, almost as if it belonged there.

It marveled in a sort of dark and mysterious way. It was an embodiment reminder of just how fragile life is for the fear of death would always be scarred into the minds of many. At least that's what the figure standing in front of the grave thought while staring, just staring.

The figure was small and feminine, in body image, with a blood red cloak firmly attached to a black long sleeved shirt by two silver crosses near the front of her shoulders. The wind swayed her black skirt's red ruffled trimmings as one side gently touched the side of her black leggings. Her black boots with red lacings and red fur interior rose barely up towards her kneecaps as the black corset with red outlines and black lacings were tied securely below her bosom. There was a black belt that holstered several dark silver bullets on her left waist, a silver pouch on her right, and a larger silver cross by the front end of her right hip. Her hands were covered by a pair of black tight gloves with the pendants of roses sewed onto each glove's top forehand. Finally, there was a red and black mechanical device behind her and attached to a silver metallic plate on the back of her belt.

The girl finally moved and kneeled closer to the grave with both of her hands clenched tightly into fists with her head hung low. Among the heavy wind, some lisps of whispers escaped her mouth too silent to be heard. The wind blew harder as she went silent and placed a hand on the cold hard stele before, without a word or sound, rising up, and walking away leaving a small, thin trail of snow prints behind as she continued moving, refusing to looking back.

Some time had passed as she continued on. It was a steady pace, so far, down the cliff moving deeper into the forest. Her destination was just on the other side of the enormously large woodland area. With each step she took, a soft crunch could be heard beneath her boots.

Every once and a while she would look back to see the trail of footprints she imprinted on the snow already gone or close to it. Her trail had gotten longer to the point she could no longer see the prints she made more than a few meters behind her.

She suddenly came to a halt to rest her legs and to examine her surroundings. It was the usual scene, trees, trees, and, more trees with the occasional bushes and shrubs that would appear every now and then. The blankets of snow grew thicker as her prints sunk a little more deeper into the snow up her boots.

For as long as she can remember, the cold and snow never bothered her. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. As a child she would always marvel at how calm and beautiful forests of all kinds were.

Feeling a vague warmth hitting above her, the girl looked up to see that the sun was starting to rise a good distance into the sky bringing whatever warmth it could into the chilling forest. A frown of disappointment crawled onto her lips at the sight of this.

 _'The night is over now'._ She thought vaguely.

The girl was never much of a morning person, or any given time in general. The night time was her only exception. It was her element after all. It offered stealth and protection among the shadows and darkness that she would often use to her advantage. The moon and stars would guide her everywhere she went in any given direction. The silence and cool winds brought peace and a soothing sensation to her. The night was her escape from all her dangers, even her greatest burden… people.

 _'People are often blinded by illusions of happy endings_.' The girl had always thought. ' _They seem to be naïve of good always triumphing over evil'._ _There was a name she would call people who think this way._

 _"Fools." She muttered._

 _'Good doesn't always win._ _Good and evil may or may not even exist'._ _She thought._

After standing motionless for a bit longer than she'd like, the girl eventually broke out of her thoughts and noticed something peculiar that she didn't notice while walking. Although she was standing in a winter forest, the area was usually still teeming with wildlife; at least that's what she remembers from her previous times in the forest. But that was not the case this time, there was no sound to be heard. No birds squawking, no trees rustling, no anything whatsoever. The area was dead silent.

It was strange for many reasons. Either every animal left to hibernate or migrate, which was highly improbable, or…

 _'Something caused them to leave'._ _She thought, slightly tensing up._

The only notable sound that could be heard was the gusts of winds which withdrew a great deal of force making it a mediocre like breeze. Her tenseness quickly dropped when realizing that it was absolutely silent. Silence offered calm and tranquility as well as peace to the mind and spirit.

Before delaying herself any further, the girl started walking again in order to get back on track. However as her walking continued, she didn't notice the glowing pair of red eyes lurking in the shadows a good distance away from her.

The sun was now at its highest peak. The girl has been walking for more than an hour and within that time, she already noticed that she wasn't alone. Throughout her movement, she noticed all sorts of unusual things arising. Such as the rustling from far away, growls in the distant and even seeing some claw marks on multiple trees that she would pass with sapling still bleeding out from the holes inside the lumber.

It was clear that something was calling for her attention, and she couldn't help but acknowledge it. Whatever it was it was making its presence known to her. The actions drew curiosity that she couldn't resist. It was intelligent, that much was certain. It somehow knows the path that she is taking and has been on her trail for quite a while. It was obviously demanding for her to answer its challenge.

' _Will you come to me or will you runaway?'_ The challenge asked. And the girl was quick to answer.

Walking further through the forest, the girl noticed that the trees were lessening further up her path.

 _That's impossible. I couldn't have reached the end already. There's still a good distance left. So why are there fewer trees?_

 _The girl noticed a thick_ fog starting to form a great distance up head. It was white as a cloud which limited the girl's vision. Her pace slowed down a bit as she examined her position. The few trees that she could make out were not touched; the growls and rustling stopped a short while ago. And she was now entering a fog where she would most likely be in a dangerous position.

The girl prepared herself mentally and physically. She replayed one of her uncle's advices in her head over and over for times such as these.

' _When entering an unknown area, never allow fear to creep in your mind. Otherwise you're better off dead.'_

The fog around her started to vapor away as she walked more confidently with her senses on high alert. The atmosphere seemed to be normal again; until she left the fog entirely, and saw them.

Right in front of her was a large, open, spherical field with white covering every inch of the flatland. She could see outlines of various tree formations on the other side of the field. Not only that, but the girl heard the grunting and growling up ahead.

She continued walking before firmly standing still near the center of the field waiting for the silhouettes she noticed among the trees. And as expected, one by one they came out.

They were fast and in large numbers. Their shapes proved to be bigger than her but not even their height could alter how silent they were when they moved. And they moved everywhere. After more growling, the silhouettes stopped and she saw them as clear as day.

They were large, beastlike, creatures in hunchback humanoid shapes standing on their hind legs with narrow canine heads. Their eyes, red as blood, were full of malice and hatred that gleamed from there oculars. Their sharp, red teeth and large black claws looked perfectly capable of tearing her body's flesh and bone apart with ease. Their skin and fur resembled what their hearts, if they possessed one, would look like, the deepest, darkest shade of black.

The girl's eyes darted back and forth analyzing her position. They were circling closer to her, some taking hops around her, others walking and, the rest crouching. She counted a few dozen and, judging by the distant howling she hears, more were coming.

"Beowulves." The girl whispered.

She had read about these creatures, they were a common group among the various species that made up the Creatures of Grimm, life's greatest enemy.

The information she had studied off these creatures proved to be accurately correct as she inspected their positions and formation. The ones in the front acted excited and jumpy. Those were the weaker ones with more energy to spare, designed to wear out their target while the older and more experienced stayed behind waiting for the right opportunity to come in for the kill.

The girl looked at each Beowulf judging how much effort she would have to use for the inevitable confrontation. But among them all, she was looking for one in particular. The one that would give her the most trouble if she let it.

And after scanning around she was finally able to find it from it's glowing red eyes. Were it so easy to spot like the rest would be a false sense of comfort one would give themselves.

Crouching behind the entire pack was one Beowulf that stood out from the rest and yet kept its identity so well hidden. Among the whiteness of the snow, the girl was able to make out the Beowulf's figure: slightly bigger than the rest and with snow white fur that was longer and making it seem more ferocious. The muscles on its body were bigger, stronger and looked like it can endure a lot more. There was no confusing it.

 _The pack's Alpha._

The alpha stared at her and snarled with a sickly red grin revealing all of its teeth. The creature was both a sight to behold and to be weary of. There have been many deaths because of an Alpha due to not keeping sight of it at all times. If one cannot see its red eyes then death was inevitable. It was a master of camouflage and the beast knew it well.

There was a modicum of respect to the creature; the girl had to admit that. In some ways they were very much alike. It was a perfect manifestation of a hunter much like herself. Using its advantages, organizing planned attacks, and showing no mercy or fear in the battlefield. They were like two sides of the same coin.

 _ **(Combat Music Start: My Demons by Starset)**_

The standoff seemed to grow tenser by the second. Neither side would move as the area fell into an absolute silence despite the harsh wind now growing back. Then without warning, the battle began.

Three Beowulves grew impatient and rushed towards the girl. A thin smirk crept upon her lips as she raised her head. The arousal of combat swelled within her. The exciting feeling that always presented itself in times of danger; it made her feel alive.

"Bring it." She whispered as the Beowulves launched themselves into the air and striking down the spot where the girl was standing.

The moment the three slashed the ground they tumbled and rolled over to see what remained of the girl. To their surprise, they struck nothing but air as petals of roses gently swayed down the spot where the girl stood. Among the swishing of the wind the Grimm heard a sound from up above causing the three to look up.

Up in the air the girl, with closed eyes, twirled to reveal her short black hair with highlights of red at the end of her bangs. She opened her eyes to reveal her glamorous metallic silver eyes with no emotion on her face, no expression to be seen.

The girl was starting to fall again and as she did her left hand reached around her back and pulled what looked to be a large mechanical red device. She pointed it down towards one of the Beowulves where a cocking sound echoed followed by a shot ringing out into the world as the unlucky Beowulf fell to the ground with half of its face disintegrated.

The death of one of Beowulf drew shock to the rest of the pack. The two Beowulves accompanying the fallen one grew in a state of rage and roared out to the rest of their pack. The girl noticed as she reached the ground the rest of the Grimm charging her.

As she landed, one of the Beowulves lunged at her only to miss as she dodged and shot point blank down its neck. She leaped towards another and shot it in the left abdomen which ripped a chunk of its flesh off. She then rolled past it and moved towards the next one which attempted to jump on her. The girl noticed and positioned herself for a great angle to shoot its left abdomen. The recoil of her weapon's force pushed her backwards, allowing her to tumble and roll, repositioning herself back to her feet as she pushed a button on her weapon causing it to lengthen and transform into a new shape, a scythe.

The remaining Beowulves roared again as they charged in a larger group hoping to corner the girl. Unafraid of their attempt of intimidation, the girl stood her ground with a defensive stance and glared.

When the closest Beowulf was in her range, she twirled and slammed the stem of her weapon down on the beast's neck causing its group to halt. The momentary impact stunned the Beowulf as it raised its eyes and growled at the girl. It shows her its teeth and saliva with a sickly grin. The beast may not have been able to speak but its message was clear enough.

' _I want to devour you and you are going to taste good to me'._ The grin said.

The girl smirked as she looked into its red eyes and pulled the trigger. The scythe's blade flew down by the recoil and sliced the Beowulf in two. The remaining pack, now taking time to access their situation, watched as their fallen brethren's body landed on the snow with a soft ' _thunk'_ and disintegrated into rose petals.

All stood frozen until one was bold enough to rush the girl with a roar of anger. By its example, the others followed as the girl stood up from her kneeling position and steeled herself.

 _Relentless bastards._ _She mentally commented_

The girl cocked her scythe and twirled it into the ground causing the tip of the scythe to cement firmly in place as she aimed her weapon towards the chargers. When they got close, she fired three rounds, getting one in the shoulder, another in the stomach and the last one in the chest, causing three to collapse in place.

When only one, of the charging group, survived the girl noticed its claw swiping down towards her feet trying to knock her off balance.

"Smart move." She whispered. But with agile reflex, the girl hopped off the ground and fired once more into the beast's head. The shot's recoil pushed her and her weapon back but with quickly thinking, she struck the ground with her scythe again to cement her in place. She flipped midair, landing onto the stem of her weapon with perfect balance and turned, staring at the only one left, the Alpha.

The white Beowulf growled as it examined all of the dead bodies that used to be its pack. In an abrupt motion, the alpha roared loudly and almost on cue, more Beowulves answered the call and charged her.

The girl sighed as the incoming reinforcements drew closer.

 _'Annoying pests'_ _she thought._

The Beowulves got close enough for one to lung a strike at her head, only to miss and land behind her. The girl twirled and maneuvered her position onto the weapon and pulled the trigger at another standing in front of the scythe's barrel. The shot fired into the Beowulf's neck jerking it back as the girl and her weapon twirled towards the Beowulf that missed her where it received a kick to its face slamming it into the snow.

The girl went on the offensive as she slashed an incoming Beowulf by the legs and then to its neck. The one she had kicked shook its head and growled as it watched the girl fighting its fellow brethren. Using the element of surprise to its advantage, the beast charged and lunged at the girl with a wide triumphant grin.

However the grin disappeared along with the beast's bottom half as the girl turned and sliced it in two. The girl then stopped twirling and swung her scythe towards a charging Beowulf, stopping it by holding the blade to its neck and then pulling the trigger. The beast's head flew past her right angle as she turned to the sound of running on her left.

She ducked from an incoming strike to her head that caught her by surprise. The same Beowulf struck again in confidence but the girl used the opportunity to strike back and swung her blade toward the beast's back. She looked dead into its eyes with slight anger for being caught off guard and pulled the trigger killing it and another Beowulf behind it.

The girl jumped and kicked the top half of the dead Beowulf behind her, towards another which instantly collided with its face slamming it into the ground before it could get closer to her.

She turned and saw two more charging her and decided to charge back, flipping over one and then back flipping over the other which tried to grab her. The girl ran towards the closest one and quickly slashed its neck. The other came sprinting and got caught in her grasp as she slammed her weapon down on its neck stunning it. She quickly rolled underneath and jumped on its back while pulling her blade up cutting into its neck choking it. It roared in pain and the girl decided to end its misery in the grimmest way. She pulled the trigger causing a clean slice through the head.

The girl examined the field, noticing that a majority of their numbers were down. She then spotted her next few targets. She jumped and as expected the small group jumped after trying to slash her

Reacting fast, the girl pointed her gun towards the sky and fired sending her twirling towards one Beowulf and slicing its chest. She maneuvered herself through the air shooting and angling her positions towards another Beowulf and quickly dismissed the danger with a swift and clean slash through the neck.

Unfortunately during her last kill she left an angle of vulnerability where one Beowulf was fast and close enough to slash at her. She braced herself with her weapon absorbing the impact and pushing her back. She felt the stem shake and tremble by the sheer power that came from the strike. If she had taken the hit, she would not have gotten up easily.

She rooted her weapon into the ground again and looked up to see the remaining pack gather together waiting for her next move. She noticed more had gathered and in front of the pack the Alpha stood with its sickly red grin presented on its face.

It annoyed her to no end, wanting to slice that grin off. She grew tired of the Beowulves relentless attacks and decided that it was time to end it her way, the fast way.

The girl flipped a switch on her weapon causing its red magazine to detach as she pulled a new one from her metal pouch and reloaded it. Cocking her scythe once and twisting it back, the girl took a stance and prepared her final move.

 _"Time to end this." She whispered._

She pulled the trigger and dashed towards the pack, specifically towards the Alpha. The White Beowulf lost its grin as the girl sped toward it with uncomforting speed. It tried to fruitlessly evade her attack but ended up sliced from the back of its head along with two others after it in their stomach and shoulder.

She redirected herself around the pack and fired another shot sending her soaring through the field slicing and dicing each and every Beowulf she saw. Some tried to escape which failed, others tried to fight which also failed. Everything the Beowulves attempted to avoid death ultimately failed.

It was a slaughter as the girl showed no mercy. She jumped, twirled, shot and, sliced her way all over the pack sending bullets, limbs, and heads literally flying all around her. In a way she felt like she was dancing through them. She caught vague glimpses of Beowulf after Beowulf being sliced and diced everywhere. She felt in control, in powered, and totally alive.

The last shot was fired and the girl jumped back and posed directly under the sun as it started to rain silver bullets all around her. When the last one fell, the girl examined her work and nodded to herself. Countless corpses and body parts were disintegrating into rose petals. She retracted her scythe to its resting phase and attached it onto her back once more.

"Never mess with the Red Rose Reaper" she muttered and raised her hood back up. She started to slowly walk into the forest as the wind carried hundreds of petals of roses into the air.

 _ **(Combat Music End)**_

The girl continued on her path and later descended down the side of a mountain. Once down, snow turned to grass and winter turned to spring. She looked back up, still seeing the distant winter forest gleaming in its elegant beauty thanks to the sunlight now strongly shining.

She turned back and spotted a freshly tarred road. She followed it east for some time until finally stopping in front of a large wooden sign with big bold letters written on it. She read the words in her head and nodded to herself as she exhaled a sharp breath seeing her destination right in front of her.

' _Let's get this over with.'_ _she mentally said._

She nodded as she reread the six words imprinted on the sign once more and walked.

 **"** _ **Welcome to the city of Vale"**_ _the sign read._

 **Well that's a wrap for the first trailer, The Red Trailer. Please leave a review, good or bad. If there is any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Thanks so much for reading.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	2. Crimson Black Trailer

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the second trailer of "Derelicts In Black". You've witnessed the Red Trailer however now it's time for a double feature.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the Trailers.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

Crimson and Black Trailer:

Inside the Forest of Red Ash, the wind was cool and continuous. It was as beautiful and eerie as the stories described. Leaves that were ruby red, maroon grass shrouded in low fogs, and crooked trees as black as the midnight sky.

Long ago, the forest earned its name from the leaves resembling ash when falling onto the soil. The old locals used to describe it as an illusion of fire springing to life.

It was such an odd and ancient forest full of mystery and superstition. Very few would venture into the unknown due to the sense of fear the forest emitted. Legend has it that those who venture into the Forest of Red Ash are forever shrouded in black while darkness consumes their hearts changing them forever into beasts.

' _If legend says that this forest would turn those who aren't of black, then what of those who already dwell within black?'_

The thought originated from a slender female with long jet black hair with a black bow on top of her head. Her skin was a light olive complexion as her eyes were a breath taking amber color. The girl's attire was simple: a black buttoned vest over a dark silver, sleeveless shirt with onyx short shorts covering over her black leggings and a pair of black ankle heeled boots. She wore a detached black sleeve over her left arm with two silver metallic bracelets holding it in place near her wrist and bicep. Around her neck was a black choker with the symbol of a silver crescent moon dangling in between the covered cleavage of her breasts.

' _This legend seems to say those of black will turn from good.'_ The girl thought. _'But who says black is vicious? And why must darkness be affiliated with evil?'_

She pondered these thoughts on a large boulder in the middle of a small open field of red grass as she gazed upon the redness of the sky. She watched with a frown, as dawn began to slowly rise.

' _These ignorant judgments make it harder for us nocturnal to roam the jungles of this world we call home._ _If we truly are beasts of darkness, beasts of black, then I guess we're already in our natural habitat. We already rely on the moon, the shadows, and stars to guide us in our nightly kingdom. But why must we be judged for our differences?'_

The girl sighed. She had been living in this forest for the past three days and it already started to feel like her home. The forest brought wonder and beauty to her as it was so calm and mystical that it hardly seemed real. It was almost fairy tale like for her to feel a calming sensation. But even she knew the calmness was a false filling of the forest's abandonment.

Her hands clenched tightly into fists as anger swelled within her.

' _Fools_.' She would think of those that feared the forest. _'How can they leave something so beautiful because they some assume and judge it to be evil?'_

She grew tired of people like that. Those who hate and fear based off looks.

The girl inhaled a deep breath as she regained calmness. She didn't try to understand those people anymore. Loneliness may have been a curse to many but to others it was sometimes a blessing.

' _It's better to be alone than to be with people who hate you.'_ She would always say to herself. But every time she did she knew it was a lie. There was someone who didn't make her feel entirely alone. And she turned to see that said someone.

It was a tall boy with long black hair dyed with crimson streaks spiking up backwards in a windswept way. He was leaning on a tree with his head tilted forward exposing two distinct horns that grew with his hair. His skin color was similar to the girl's but lighter. His eyes were obscured by an intimidating whitish-tan mask with red flame-like designs decorating the front.

His attire consisted of a long-sleeved black trench coat with slit sleeves, white symbols on his back and chest, and flame like designs on the coat's bottom edges. Underneath he wore a crimson buttoned undershirt with jet black pants and a pair of plain black shoes.

' _That's right I'm not alone physically but can I say the same emotionally?'_

The boy looked to be the same age as the girl but was in fact a year older. He was sitting with his left leg extended out while he huddled his right. His head hung low as his left hand gripped his weapon: an abnormal sword case with the scabbard shaped in the hind form of a gun. There was also a trigger guard and a trigger right near the cord.

The girl turned her sights back towards the sky. She could see traces of cirrus clouds drifting gently with the wind.

' _It's almost time.'_

The girl frowned at the thought of what was coming next; another heist for her organization, the White Fang. She never took pleasure in these sorts of things.

In the beginning, when she joined, she believed in their purpose: to liberate and free the Faunus. The memories of her life prior to joining were clear as day. Painful memories of when she and the boy were given very little as children because of how their race. They grew up together always running, hiding, fighting, and basically doing anything to survive. In her mind, being different meant being a target and they tried their best to avoid the people who targeted them.

The girl sighed at how angry it made her feel. There was a time where she did feel resentment towards the humans. However she later learned that just hating the people who hate her back wouldn't have gone anywhere. That's when she and the boy discovered the White Fang.

For the first time in her naïve, young life, hope swelled within her and the boy when they joined as children. At first it was all well, demanding peace and equality in nonviolent protests. But everything they thought the organization was changed for the worse later on. It was hard to bear witness of how far the mighty have fallen. Protests turned into riots, arguments turned into fighting, and peace talk turned to declarations of war.

She never wanted to use her skill to harm others but she didn't want to be pushed around anymore. The internal debates over every choice conflicting her and would have driven her to insanity. With insanity on her mind, the girl couldn't help but also worry for the boy she cared for. He had been the one who mentored, raised, and protected her despite being not much older.

On the day they swore allegiance to the White Fang, they swore a promise to always watch out for each other and to never change. They were all they had left and as such they became family by heart.

She looked at the boy she considers her brother again. His head still hung low.

' _probably meditating on the mission.'_ The girl thought.

Years after their joining of the White Fang, he spoke very little unless it's with her and always had a look of anger. His stoic attitude was something he always had growing up but now worsened. All he ever cares about are missions and rarely tells anyone what's on his mind, including her which really pained her. The once strong and honorable boy she knew was replaced with a man who she couldn't seem to understand anymore and it was killing her.

The vicious training the White Fang gave them proved to be the starting of her brother's change. The intensity lessons on survival, stealth, and assassinations, the punishments for failing, and the loyalty tests for their allegiance that would destroy morality were hell. There was no talk of equality anymore, only superiority and how to win their rights through war.

She didn't like it and yet she did so much that it only made her feel like a monster. There was always an irritating itch on her hands that she could never stop and it made her feel tainted. For years the abuse had raged her life, and she had enough of it.

' _Today is the day'._ The girl thought frowning. ' _Once this heist begins there is no going back. Everything will change from here on out'._

She was going to end it all. Her thoughts went to the boy and her heart pained. She was about to leave him. It hurt her so much that she nearly teared.

"No… I have too… I can't keep doing this any longer." She muttered. "Everythinng has changed and staying with the White Fang will only hurt me more in the end. I'm so sorry Adam, please forgive me brother. Please, please one day forgive me."

' _Your changes have become my burden but I will find my own liberation.'_

A few minutes passed in silence as she closed her eyes and felt the wind sway through her hair. It felt good to feel something soothing. It felt as if she were being embraced by the wind whispering and comforting her. She wished that the feeling could stay with her always. That is until she heard a male's voice called out to her.

"Blake, its time."

The girl known as Blake opened her eyes and turned to see her brother Adam already on his feet. She sighed for a moment before lowering her head and nodding.

"Alright."

She jumped off the boulder and walked passed Adam without looking at him. Her brother simply stared at her before following her.

The two now sprinted through the forest, side by side, barely making any sound. They were not best known for their speed and stealth for nothing. As they continued on, Adam glanced at Blake, who was a few feet behind him, through his mask.

He has known her since they were little and technically had been her guardian for so long. Their histories were very similar: both lost their parents during the Faunus Civil Rights Movement and since then he took the role as her guardian, her older brother. Although never admitting it, he was proud to see Blake grow to be a strong and independent woman. He knew he could trust her to take care of herself but that didn't mean he wouldn't worry for her at times. He still remembers the promise they made to each other when they were little.

' _Despite everything that's happened to us, she's still the same… unlike me.'_ He thought.

Adam was no fool. He knew he changed during his time in the White Fang. To be fair to himself there wasn't much choice when he joined with Blake. Hard choices had to be made and they weren't getting enough income despite all of their hard work being rookies and all. So desperation for more money drove Adam to learn of the structure of the White Fang. And eventually he figured it all out through one sentence.

' _The higher the ranking, the higher the pay.'_

Adam sneered at that annoying phrase. As much as he disliked it, he strived for years to become a high ranking member so that he would be able provide for both himself and Blake. And eventually he succeeded, both of them actually.

In time both became two of the most feared and dangerous members in the White Fang, earning the nickname, _"The Crimson Black Duo"._

Unfortunately the road to get to where he wanted came at a high price. The missions he, alone, was sent on were hazardous, suicidal, and the possibilities of death were high. The battles grew tougher and every mission had casualties. Anyone would lose their mind from everything they saw, and some did to the point of suicide.

For Adam not to fall into the same insanity, he repressed his emotions in hopes that being numb like a machine would better help him cope with all the things he had to do. It worked for a while but he knew some looked at him as a monster while others looked to him as a hero. In the end he didn't care. All that mattered to him was protecting Blake no matter what.

Adam noticed how his changes affected Blake. He remembers how some of his actions drew terror into her eyes which pained him. The look of sadness, fear, and shock were all readable in her eyes whenever he did something she didn't like. But what Adam recalls seeing that hurt him the most was the look of disappointment. He wished he could defend his actions but he knew morally there was just no way.

He knew that he became a monster and sometimes he forgot why he did in the first place. The White Fang had caused a rift between them instead of granting hope for him and Blake. It drew both of them apart to certain levels where they weren't as close as he wanted them to be which angered him to no end. The price was too high and if he lost her then he would have nothing.

Adam's thinking from the strong rush of wind blowing through his hair. They were arriving towards their destination.

In less than a few seconds the duo arrived towards a large, steep, rocky cliff that gave a sight full of red mountains and forest as far as the eye could see. It was darkly sight for the two but they didn't have time to marvel.

Upon arriving the two quickly looked down and spotted their objective coming closer.

The whistle blew from a long industrial train coming through the tracks with rapid speed. When Adam estimated the height of the cliff and the speed of the train he looked at Blake who looked back at him. He raised three fingers and counted backwards.

"Three… two… one…go!"

Adam jumped first, down the cliff with Blake following closely behind. Both the soles of their shoes collided and grinded down the gravel and rocks of the slope. When the time was right, Adam leaped into the air and twirled his body as he released his sword and rooted it into the train's metallic roof.

Blake followed shortly with her own weapon, a modified black katana with a ballistic chain scythe, and landed safely a few yards next to her brother. With no time to waste, the two sheathed their weapons and sprinted from train cart to train cart until they spotted one with a hatchway on it. Adam and Blake stopped a few feet away from the door and inspected it.

' _Bingo_ ,' Adam thought as he approached it.

With one swift motion he sliced the hatch's lock, bent down and opened it up as Blake crouched down next to him. The two inspected the inside and could see nothing but pitch blackness except for the grey steel floor that was exposed from light up in the hatch.

"I'll head in first, follow me in five seconds after". Adam said to Blake as he jumped in.

Blake gripped her weapon and jumped in after five.

When she landed, she found Adam still crouched down with his hand gripping his blade. She landed next to him facing in the opposite and saw a pattern of red flashes lighting up.

' _Damn it.'_ Blake cursed as she saw dozens of mechanized cyborgs spring to life.

"Looks like we're gonna be doing this the hard way." Adam said as he slowly rose.

Blake rolled her eyes in slight amusement as she remembers him stealing that line from a manga that he read when they were children.

"Don't be so dramatic Adam." Blake said as she got into a defensive stance. The cyborgs started to move circle the duo slowly.

"Intruders, identify yourselves!" one said in its raspy deep robotic voice. Its hands extended out and turned into two mini guns.

Adam stared at the machine for a few seconds and then smirked.

' _Let's do this._ '

 _ **(Combat Music Start: Elena Siegman: Archangel covered by whatadizzydance)**_

Without hesitation Adam pulled the trigger of his sword case and launched his blade directly towards the cyborg's head, jolting it backwards. Adam rushed with blinding speed towards the machine grabbing the sword and slashing its neck and diagonally down the side of its body.

The other cyborgs looked to one another then charged towards the two while activating their large red blades.

Blake noticed four charging from behind and quickly moved behind two of them and slashed them down to pieces. She then charged towards Adam with the remaining two were in pursuit. Adam jumped and twirled around Blake once she reached him and sliced the two cyborgs on her tail while she sliced up one charging at him. Adam then started firing rounds at individual cyborgs that were getting to close for comfort as Blake slashed those who didn't go down from the bullets.

The duo were fighting in perfect sync, back to back, switching and fighting in turns and continuing the routine over and over effectively.

Once the two finished the first wave, Blake noticed one cyborg in the distance preparing its guns. Without hesitation, Adam got in front of Blake as he sliced the bullets while Blake rolled over and dashed towards the still firing Cyborg. She sliced, dodged, and deflected each bullet towards her body and leaped into the air, slicing the head of the cyborg off. Her actions didn't stop there as she sliced two more in her way. When she reached the final one she released her next blade from her katana and duel-wielded while slicing up the last one.

Blake then spotted five more cyborgs running towards her and rushed them slashing each one by one. While Blake pushed forward, Adam finished off the last of the stragglers in the back. He then ran to catch up to Blake and noticed her kicking the last one in the air. He jumped and kicked it through the metallic door of the cart, opening it up and, destroying the cyborg.

Adam leaped out into the cart that was wall-less and felt the strong wind hit his face. He heard a soft _thunk_ behind him and turned to see Blake landing next to him. He nodded to her and then noticed another wave of cyborgs charging them.

"Blake cross air attack!" exclaimed Adam as he rushed towards the horde of mechanical foes. Blake rolled her eyes again at her brother and followed him.

' _Must he always rush into battle?'_

Blake leaped over Adam and was ready for the combo. Cross air attack was one of their famous combination moves with one attacking from the ground while the other delivers the finishing blow from above.

Adam slice two cyborgs into the air which was Blake's cue to slice them back to the ground where Adam, again, slashed the two mechanical corpses towards another cyborg hurling them away.

When Blake landed she could already see the horde surrounding the two from every direction except their back. Blake transformed her blade into its sickle form and threw it towards one cyborg in front of her. It saw and ducked her attack not realizing that the sickle was attached to a long, elastic ribbon. Blake smirked as she retracted her hand back causing the trigger of her sickle to activate and recoil her weapon back to her while slicing the cyborg.

Knowing what Blake was going to do, Adam jumped over her and kicked one cyborg that was attempting to tackle Blake. He then backed up when he saw her getting into position for one of her signature moves she called, the White Omni Trails. He watched and heard the rapid gunshots destroying a group of cyborgs as Blake twirled into the air with her weapon swinging in multiple directions.

When she landed her sickle was stuck inside a remaining cyborg's head as it jolted back. Adam turned and sliced the robot in half before dashing forward while Blake pulled the trigger, freeing her weapon and quickly followed after Adam.

She watched as he ran towards six cyborgs, slicing through each of them which triggered electrical sparks to run wildly and then explode. Blake jumped over the explosion and sliced the head of an incoming cyborg trying to sneak up behind her. She finally reached Adam and the two started fighting side by side against incoming waves with Adam providing cover fire with his gun while Blake uses her sickle to slice incoming stragglers.

Blake then noticed another group of cyborgs rushing them and used her elastic to twirl the three enemies into the air. She back flipped next to Adam who slashed them three times before Blake launched herself up and finished them off with her final attack. Two of the three fell dead while the last one tried to fall directly onto Adam in hopes of pinning him.

Adam, however, twirled and sliced the cyborg before shooting it point blank in the chest.

With no more threats in his way, Adam quickly sheathed his weapon and moved into the next cart where Blake had already entered.

 _ **(Combat Music End)**_

When the duo entered, they noticed an abundance of cases, mechanical systems, and high tech weaponry scattered all around the cart. They have never seen such an arsenal before. It was exciting and somewhat intimidating to be around. Some of the equipment looked to be years ahead in development. While some weapons inside the cart made what the White Fang possessed look like scrap metal.

Adam immediately moved to one of the cases to confirm that it was what they were ordered to find. He opened it and saw large chunks of freshly mined crystals varying in different colors.

"Looks like we found what we were looking for." He said as he picked one up and examined it carefully. It was a black dust crystal that would sell high in the black markets. He tossed it to Blake who caught it with hesitation and put it away for safekeeping. He grabbed another for himself and closed the case and turned to Blake. "Move up to the next cart while I set the charges. We're only going to have one minute to get off before it detonates so check your timing."

Adam turned to walk away but stopped when Blake grab his arm tightly.

"What about the crew members?" she quietly asked not daring to look up at him.

Adam was silent at first and thought about her words carefully. She was right; there were other lives on the train. He didn't anticipate thinking about them at anytime. His orders were to destroy this train before it reached its destination, nothing more. He usually tried to ignore the sensitive details so it wouldn't affect him. He didn't know how to reply to his sister. How to justify what they were about to do.

Blake looked at him with worry, her eyes widened slightly as concern filled her face.

' _Adam did I really ask a difficult question? How far did you let your morality go?!'_

Blake couldn't understand it. This would have been a no brainer for many to answer or see so why was he debating it.

Finally Adam shook his head and looked away with a sneer.

"We have our orders…" he started in a low voice which caused Blake to freeze. "We are to follow them, not question them. So don't think about it and do as your-"

"NO!"

 _SMACK_

 _ **(Emotional Music Start: Within Temptation: Lost)**_

Adam recoiled himself on one of the cases while a hand automatically went up to his left cheek. The force he felt really knocked him off his feet as he felt the stinging sensation move all across his face. It wasn't from an ambush or an enemy. He would have preferred that actually. Instead, it was from Blake, his sister, which widened his eyes as he stared at her. He didn't know what emotions were running inside him. Anger? Sadness? He didn't know. He just stood there confused and shocked. It was unbelievable. For the first time, in his life, Blake had slapped him.

For a moment Adam stayed silent as Blake was panting. He can see her gritted teeth showing her small canines and her eyes looked alert with killing intent. He tensed but was relieved to see that she retracted her hand and stepped back away from him.

Adam felt that now would be a good time to speak with her calming down.

"Blake… why did you-"

"NO!" she interrupted. "I refuse to stay silent anymore! Not for this!" Adam could see it in her eyes again; anger, fury, sadness, disappointment, and pain. He tensed again but froze when he saw something new; something around the corner of her eyes, wet and sliding down her cheeks.

His heart dropped. He hasn't seen this since they were children, since the day they both lost their parents. For the first time in a long time, Blake was crying and for Adam, a hardened assassin, he could not ignore the pain he was feeling from it.

Blake walk closer to her brother as she trembled slightly.

"How could you…" she started with malice in her voice. "How could you just ask me to ignore this! Is that really what you want?! To ignore that we're about to kill innocent lives that have families and friends waiting for them back at home?! Are we really that monstrous?! Are we that cold blooded?!"

At this point, Blake was trembling harder. She never lost her cool. She never expressed her sorrowful thoughts so openly before.

"Blake I… I don't know what to say." Adam replied in an almost faint whisper which seemed to make Blake even angrier. She grabbed him by his coat's collar and pinned him to the case which almost tilted over.

"Of course you wouldn't," Blake retorted with glaring eyes. "because you're not who you used to be!"

Adam looked at his sister a little confused.

"What are you-"

"Don't play dumb Adam!" she exclaimed. "You know for a fact that this is not who you are!"

Blake lowered her head as she leaned closer to her brother. "The real Adam… would never do this. He would never just be ok with killing innocent lives because he was ordered to! The real Adam would never take orders from those who wish to cause pain and suffering! The Adam I know was strong, proud, and caring! He was a warrior with honor and integrity who believed in doing the right thing!" Blake couldn't help but let more tears fall. She was practically screaming in Adams face.

"Blake…" Adam whispered.

"The Adam I knew," Blake continued. "was always there for me. He protected and cared for me the day I lost my parents. I was only a small girl who had nothing left in this world but still, even when that Adam lost his parents too he stood strong, ignoring the pain and took the role as my guardian… my brother."

Blake looked up to show how red her eyes were becoming which caused Adam to look away.

"I looked up to him and I vowed that one day I would be like him…" Blake hiccupped and closed her eyes. "There isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss that Adam; the Adam who was fun, caring, protective and sometimes a bit of a nerd."

Blake lightly smiled fondly to the memory of her brother when they were young in a library with stacks of Manga around him. He would always wear a cape to act like a hero in his favorite story.

The memory soon faded from her mind and her smile immediately dropped as she looked into his masked eyes.

"The Adam I see in front of me… doesn't look like a brother anymore… not even a true person. He just looks like a monster! How could you Adam? You swore to me that you would never change, that you would always be there for me and stay by my side! How could you brother? How could you break our promise?!"

Adam gasped when hearing that. Many people have called him a monster numerous times and he simply brushed it off. When Blake, the most precious person he treasured, calls him a monster, he felt like his world has shattered.

"Please Adam!" Blake continued earning his attention. "Please don't be a monster anymore! Please just come back to me! Look at what the White Fang has done to us! Its tearing us apart and I don't want that!" Blake sobbed.

She embraced Adam so tightly that it nearly suffocated him. "I know we live in a hard world but that doesn't mean we have to make it harder on ourselves! No matter how black and white the world may seem, there is always a grey area! No matter how small, it still exists! We may belong in the darkness like monsters but that doesn't mean we have act like it!" Blake pleaded. "So please Adam… don't change who you are… come back to me and we can start over without this pain holding us back!"

Adam was at a loss for words. Instead of protecting Blake, he was hurting her which made him disgusted with himself. He knew he was pushing her away and yet he was still being a fool as to not stop it. He wanted to stop it. He wanted to stop the pain, to stop the anger, the resentment, and all the negativity that filled his heart. But most importantly, he wanted to stop the pain he was giving Blake.

"Blake… I…" Adam couldn't finish his sentence when he and Blake were interrupted by a loud rumbling sound.

 _ **(Emotional Music End)**_

They turned their sights to the door they just came through to see nothing at all. Until, the shadowed area above the door started to glow red and a large, mechanized, spider-like robot landed on the ground staring directly at the duo.

 _ **(Combat Music Start: Ashes Remain: On My Own)**_

The siblings "talk" would have to come later.

Before either of the two made a move, the large spider-mech fired multiple white beams. Adam rolled on the ground only to be slightly stunned as a beam hit the metal floor blinding him momentarily. Blake jumped above him and dashed towards the machine dodging as much of the beams as she could.

When close enough, Blake leaped towards the spider-mech with her weapons ready. The machine saw this and shoved its body forward hitting Blake in the stomach with its large metallic head. The impact knocked her hard as she let out a pained shriek before hitting the floor. She was still trying to catch her breath as the spider-mech approached her. The pain was too great to let her move.

When Adam got out of his daze he shook his head and saw Blake on the ground with the spider-mech walking up to her. A slight ounce of fear crept up his spine as his body moved on instinct.

"Blake!" He exclaimed.

Adam dashed towards the side of the spider and jumped, slicing at the mechanized spider rapidly.

"Don't. Touch. My. Sister!" He shouted with each slice he gave.

When Adam landed, the spider-mech had him right where it wanted and lunged one of its long, thick, mechanical legs which hit Adam square in his chest. He gave a loud grunt upon impact but the spider-mech wasn't done however as it fired a few more shots at him while he was knocked into the air.

Quick thinking saved Adam as he twirled for a few seconds to get himself together which helped as he landed in front of a few crates.

The spider-mech attempted to go after Blake again to crush her with one of its massive legs.

Rushing as fast as he could, Adam was barely able to grab Blake and move her to the other end of the room just before the spider-mech's foot collided with Adam's shoulder.

A safe distance away now, Adam checked Blake to see her opening her eyes.

"Hey, you ok?" Adam asked trying his best to ignore the pain.

Blake looked at him with slight shock. Normally when she got hurt on a mission, Adam would usually distract the enemies towards him while she took time to recover and move. But here he actually saved her and she heard his words when he hit the mechanical spider.

' _Could it be possible? Could he be-'_

Blake stopped and shook her head. It would have been too good to be true for her. "I'm fine Adam. Thank you but we need to get out of here. Its armor is too thick and we aren't having much effect on it."

Before Adam could reply, the spider-mech was making noises which caught their attention. What they saw left them wide eyed as their foe now transformed its top half into a large rail gun, charging a beam right at them. With nowhere to go Adam turned and embraced Blake, much to her surprise, as the spider-mech fired.

At the last minute, Adam quickly unsheathed his sword and let his blade take the beam which sent both of the siblings flying backwards back into the open cart where they came from. His quick thinking just saved their lives.

Adam was the first to slowly rise as he saw the spider, back in its original form, walking out of the giant hole it made and jumping onto the open cart. Laying out his options, everything he and Blake did and was proved fruitless. That armor was too strong and if they were to make it out alive then they would need some real power to kill it.

And that's when he got an idea. They needed a power strong enough to destroy the spider-mech and the only place where they could find it was…

"Itslef." Adam muttered.

He quickly set his plan into motion as he turned to Blake who was now getting up.

"Blake!" he called out. "I need you to buy me some time!"

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"What are you planning?!" She asked. That's when she saw the small grin on his face.

"I'm going to end this MY way!" Blake went wide eyed.

' _He… He doesn't mean.'_ And then she saw it, confirming her fear.

Adam's hair and clothing started to lightly glow red as he got into the position for that specific move; his ultimate move. Anger swelled up within her. She was beyond furious.

' _That idiot! He knows the side effects for using that!'_

"Are you insane?! Do you remember the last time you tried that mo-"

"I know but we don't have a choice!" Adam cut in. "It's the only way we can take it out! Just trust me on this! Please Neko!"

Blake froze.

' _Neko…'_

The word felt so foreign and yet so familiar. It was such a long time since she heard that word from him; the old nickname he used to call her. At this point she was sure of it. She was getting her brother back.

Blake shook her head as she heard him shout her name again.

"Are you sure Adam?!" She asked one last time.

Adam nodded. "Do it!"

Blake nodded and rose up facing the spider-mech. She stood with new motivation and a huge weight that lifted off of her shoulders. She hasn't felt this good in such a long time.

' _For you my brother, I will give you all the time you need'._ She thought before dashing towards the mechanized spider.

In response to her approaching, the robot fired a swarm of beams but with new determination, Blake dodged them with ease. She leaped over the spider-mech using her sickle to jab it in the neck as she went up into the air. Midair she turned and pulled her elastic back, slicing the spider.

When landing Blake sprinted towards her the spider-mech with both weapons in hand and used her speed to slide underneath the robot and slashed its legs, knocking it off balance.

In desperation, the robot shot at the ground near its foot stunning itself accidentally as Blake jumped on its chest and shot round after round into its neck.

Feeling that she did enough, Blake jumped and back flipped next to Adam as he shined the brightest red.

The spider-mech, finally coming to from its stun, transformed itself back into its heavy gun form and loaded the biggest beam it can make. Knowing it was time Adam turned to his sister.

"BLAKE MOVE!"

And she did. She jumped away from her brother, watching from a safe distance with worry.

' _Adam… please be careful.'_

With Blake at a safe distance, Adam turned to the spider and watched its beam charge faster.

"That's right! Give me your best shot! I'm right here!" He taunted.

As if on cue, the spider-mech unleashed its massive beam of light straight towards him with blinding speed.

' _Wait for it… wait for it… NOW'._

Adam lifted his sword as the blast impacted. The power was so great that it nearly knocked him unbalanced and pushed him back a few yards. His sword was absorbing the blast was but there was so much of it that for a brief second Adam thought that it might be too much to handle. Then he noticed Blake from the corner of his eyes and he pushed the negative thoughts out of his mind.

When the blast finally ended, Adam sheathed his sword back as his whole body glowed. The spider-mech's power was failing now as its leg's red marking started fading to black.

Out of power and desperate to win, the robot leaped its body into the air trying to land directly underneath Adam hoping to crush him with it's massive force.

Blake, with worry, screamed her brother's name which was unanswered as Adam smirked. His eyes were glowing out from under his mask and his hair danced with the wind as the red glow illuminated his bangs.

' _Well, this is gonna hurt._ '

When the spider launched itself, Adam waited for the right angel and when the moment was right.

' _NOW!_ '

Without hesitation, Adam swung his sword which unleashed a massive strike of pure power all around him. The spider caught in the blast, quickly disintegrated with everything else, the trees, the crates, and a few unlucky leaves all scattering into disintegration.

When the power was unleashed Blake had to stab the floor beneath her so that she wouldn't get swept away from the blast.

When everything quieted down, Blake sheathed her blade and looked around to see the spider-mech vanquished. It was over and Adam had won.

 _ **(Combat Music End)**_

With the threat now gon, Adam sheathed his sword and turned to face Blake who looked at him with a small smile on her face. But the smile was short lived as she watched red sparks of electricity shoot from all over her brother where he then collapsed to the floor.

"ADAM!" Blake rushed to her brother's side and held him in her arms. "Adam! ADAM!"

She shook him softly. He didn't respond nor move.

Tears were forming in the corner of Blake's eyes again. "Adam… please… please wake up! I can't lose you again, not when I finally got you back! So please… PLEASE!" She sobbed and closed her eyes as she laid her head on his chest.

"Ugh… fuck that hurt…"

Blake's eyes shot open as her head bounced up to see her brother squirm in her arms.

"Ow… ow… god damn it ow this hurts."Adam slowly rose and looked at his sister while smirking. "Hey Neko… sorry for worrying you but you should know by now; you can't get rid of me that easily."

Blake smiled and wiped her tears away. She then gave Adam the hardest glare she could make and slapped his shoulder causing him to yelp and wince.

"You dumbass you shouldn't have done that! You know what happens when you use your semblance, it's too uncontrollable! The more power you absorb the more pain your body takes! If you had taken just a little too much you could have…you would have…"

Adam looked up and stared at Blake as she fought hard to keep tears from falling again. Although his mask hid it, his heart couldn't. His felt great pain from the look on Blake's face. However there was no anger, no sadness, or fear. Rather something else… tired. She was tired.

It made sense why. He too was tired of all the fighting, the subjugation, and everything. But most all, he knew what made her tired the most, and he felt the same way now. He never rested once to truly feel the impact his job had on him. Now that he was, he felt every ounce of the heavy impact his body was withholding.

Adam slowly raised himself up much to Blake's surprise and also frustration.

"What-"

"I'm done…" he whispered.

Blake silenced.

"What?" she asked in a quiet tone.

"I'm done. Back in the forest… I heard what you said… about the White Fang and how it's turning us into monsters."

Blake was flabbergasted. She didn't know how to respond. She was both shocked and embarrassed that he had heard her even when she was fairly quiet about it.

"You were right Blake." Adam continued. "The fighting, these heists… everything they make us do is all for naught and I'm tired of it all. We've spent majority of our lives being their weapons, acting like we were doing the right thing. No, not acting… pretending."

He slowly got on his feet and winced at the sharp pain in his shoulder.

Blake rushed up to hold him steady.

"We were nothing to them." Adam went on. "If we didn't possess the skills we have, I'm sure they wouldn't have even cared about us… we were just pawns in their game of chess." He turned and looked at Blake. "Well no more… we are not going to be their toys anymore. I know you were going to leave the White Fang Blake… and I won't stop you."

Blake turned and lowered her head in shame. She then felt a hand on her head scratching the most sensitive and secretive part behind her bow. She blushed and looked at Adam in shock and in anger. "I may not stop you, but let me join you."

Blake gasped when she heard that.

"What?" she mouthed.

"You're my sister Blake. You come before anything else and I made a promise that I will always look out for you. No matter where you go, I will always be by your side. So what do you say? Do you have room for one more in your new life?"

Blake couldn't help but quickly embraced Adam causing him to wince but still smile as he wrapped his arms around her as well. For the first time, in a long time, he felt truly happy with a choice he was making.

After a moment, Blake stopped crying and dried her tears as she looked at her brother with a smile he hasn't seen in years.

"You know they would come after us." Blake mentioned seeing her brother scoff.

"Let them try." Adam smirked. "After all, they're going against the Crimson Black Duo." Blake smiled. "You know we also have to get your stuff right."

Adam shrugged his shoulder.

"No need for that. You know I always travel light. Everything we packed for the three day camp was practically everything I have. We'll go back and get it later."

Blake shook her head.

' _He really is back.'_ She thought with a small smile.

"Well then, come on." Carefully Blake walked with the injured Adam, helping him, walk through a few train carts until they reached another open cart where they hopped on and turned around.

"You wanna do the honors?" Blake asked.

Adam shook his head. "I can barely move as it is. Plus this was your original idea so you do it… for the both of us."

Blake nodded and carefully let go of Adam, letting him catch his balance. She walked up to the train carts edge with Adam standing beside her. But before she reached for her blade, she noticed from the corner of her eye, Adam raising his hands up to his mask.

"Adam, are you really going to…" she couldn't finish her sentence out of pure shock.

Adam simply smirked.

"Yes… I am. This mask represents who I once was… a man who let his inner beast take control of him Well, as far as I'm concerned, this time I conquered it. Though the demon still lies within me, I know that it will no longer control me. For I am the tamer and I will walk this planet with the mark of the tamed beast hence forth till the end of eternity."

Blake couldn't help but laugh with her hand covering her mouth. "You stole that line from "A Lycan's Cursed Love'".

Adam's cheeks reddened as he glared at his sister.

"And where do you think I got it from."

"…"

"That's what I thought. Now… let's do this." Blake nodded and gripped her blade over her shoulder as she looked at Adam taking off his mask. It had been years since she had last seen them; his beautiful crimson colored eyes which resembled the color of the red leaves from the Forest of Red Ash.

"Let's begin a new story for our lives brother." Blake said with a smile.

"And by each other's sides my dear sister." Adam replied as Blake cut the rail attachment to the other, watching as it faded farther away.

Adam looked at his mask one last time and then tossed it out into the ground where it was out of sight in mere seconds.

It was done; they left their past behind. And now, they will begin a new future together.

"So… what's our next move?" Adam asked.

"Don't worry about that, I thought everything through and I know of a place where we can do real good for this world." Blake replied.

"Is that so, where?"

Blake looked at Adam with her smile never leaving her face. "It's in the same place that this train is headed towards… Vale."

 **Well that's a wrap for the second trailer, The Crimson Black Trailer. Please leave a review, good or bad. If there is any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Thanks so much for reading and stay tune for the next and final trailer. Then we can begin the official story.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	3. Green Trailer

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome the third and final trailer of "Derelicts In Black". You've witnessed the Red Trailer and then the Crimson Black Trailer. Now it's time to witness the final Trailer.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to conclude the Trailers.**

 **PS. I almost reached a hundred followers! Thank you guys so much and also, a special thanks to 'Inkly', who was my first follower, and for still sticking around.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth**

Green Trailer:

The night is but a blessing to those who stand alone. Shadows and dark patches shrouded the Emerald Forest with darkness all around from tree line to soil. The once green leaves and grass turned from Mother Nature's gentle emerald eyes to an onyx shade of the shadows as the full moon gleamed outlines of the forest. The necessary ingredients were all there to proclaim a perfect night.

Against a starry black sky, black branches writhe like tendrils of a monstrous, unseen beast, thickening in the darkness. There was a pond with a waterfall made up entirely of rocky boulders stacked on top of one another with the water streaming down clear and smooth. The moon's radiant white glow illuminated the pond as it pulsed and vibrated along its surface, gently swaying back and forth.

The swaying suddenly turned more aggressively with the water waving around the rocky edges from a rumbling that occurred on the ground before it ceased. It caused the wildly grown grass to shake with a few pebbles sliding into the water as a few leaves slowly fell from their trees. One, in particular, fell on top of a head full of hair then slid into the water.

Sitting on top of a bolder located in the middle of the pond was a male teenager, of Asian descent, sitting on his knees with closed eyes and hands resting on his lap. His body was lean and slim with no traces of fat located anywhere on him or in his pale skinned face. He had long jet black hair that was slightly messy with a magenta streak dyed into one of his longer bangs on the left side of his hair with the rest tied into a ponytail midway down his back.

His clothing consisted of a dark green shirt, black pants, and a black, diagonally-buttoned tailcoat with black and green trimmings and magenta cuffs. Imprinted on the back of the coat were the Japanese symbols for "Black Lotus" bolded in dark emerald. His pants were tucked into a pair of knee-high combat boots and his hands were covered by a pair of black gloves, both fingerless, with the symbol of two magenta lotus flowers imprinted on both forehands.

The male looked still as a statue with no part of his body moving. He was in deep meditation. His mind was clear and his breathing was relaxed. He was in perfect balance with himself and the atmosphere around him. It was what he learned from his caretaker.

' _Honing one's senses is valuable in life. One must rely on all senses as they awaken your instinct.'_

That was what she always told him. And she was right; even with his eyes closed he can still see the area around him as clear as day. His hearing was better with his aura channeled into it and he can sense the life forms, big or small, moving around him. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the small quakes.

The rumbling of these tremors have been going on for a while; they practically started since he arrived on the pond and that was a few hours ago. They were not ordinary either, living in the forest for almost half a year had taught him a lot about what was common and what wasn't. The forest was like his home now after all.

There were no civilized areas, no villages, no technology or anything. Occasionally he would spot some people passing through but other than that he was the only one living there, human being at least. He shared this area with the variety of wildlife that inhabited the forest for generations. He was still a guest compared to them.

While civilized areas would have been an intelligent choice to live in, with one being a few miles away his location, he greatly enjoyed his time alone. While he would not consider himself social he could manage with a few individuals. But the reason behind his stay in a forest was much more complicated than simple social issues.

And it was just one word, shunned. The boy was shunned.

Memories began to swell from that word. His eyes closed tighter, his hands folded into fists and, his muscles tensed as the memories poured in. The teen internally shook the thoughts away and returned to his regular calm demeanor.

 _'Balance the negativity in your heart; let it go, it's in the past now._ ' He thought to himself.

He remembered that day all too well and would possibly never forget it. It was six months when it happened. Six months since months he was shunned from his home and family and ordered into exile from his village.

" _I'm sorry Ren… the council has reached a verdict."_

 _It was a short, elderly woman with graying hair long hair, wearing an elegant white tunic who had said those words to Lie Ren as he sat inside a small, dark jail cell. The elder's voice was full of sorrow and woe._

 _"By majority rule… you have been hereby… exiled from our village… I'm so sorry." Ren rubbed the back of his head as his expression remained neutral._

 _"You are also summoned to the Council's Court to be judged by them… I'm so sorry." She whispered faintly. She couldn't stop the tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _"When do I meet them?" he asked in a deep smooth voice._

" _You are to leave now. Your 'escort' is to pick you up any moment now." The saddened elder replied._

 _Ren did not reply at first. After a moment he sighed and nodded as he rose slowly and walked towards the iron bars that separated him from the elder. He gave a small smile as he raised his left arm through the bar and placed his hand on the elderly woman's shoulder._

 _"Do not shed your woe for me honorable elder. What's done is done and I am eternally grateful for everything that you've given me."_

 _It was harder to resist more sobs when she heard that._

 _'Such a sweet boy does not deserve this kind of treatment from his village'. She thought_

 _Even in such a difficult time he still did not show any negative emotion towards the council._

 _"Ren… please forgive me! I voted against this and tried my best to stop it but it… it…"_

 _Ren shook his head, sympathetically and felt pain from watching the elder, his caretaker, breaking down right in front of him. Although he hated to admit it, something like this was inevitable._

 _The village and all of her people never liked someone like him. He was always the black sheep. There were several reasons why people hated him; mostly because he was called the child of 'heretics'. Some also thought of him to be a Grimm Lover for the way he dressed as well. To Ren, there was nothing wrong will loving black and wearing it. It was something that the elder had told him about his parents. How they always dressed the way they liked. That influenced him to dress and act how he wanted to. They chose to be different, and it was a choice which left many to see Ren as his parents and hated him for it._

" _Honorable elder," Ren whispered. "Please raise your head and dry your tears. They hide too much of your beautiful face."_

 _The elder couldn't help but laugh._

 _'Even in times as hard as these, he's still as charming as ever. He really has a lot of his father in him.' The elder thought._

 _Her face reverted back into sadness. It broke her heart even more to know that such a calm and sympathetic human being was being treated as a criminal for a crime he did not commit._

" _Ren…" she started."Please forgive them as well. They know not what they do. Times are changing but so many in this village fear different and change and I'm so sorry that you had to be the target of discrimination because of that. I should have done more! I should have-"_

 _Ren shushed her gently. "You have done far more for me than you believe. You gave a home, provided for me, and raised me like I was your own child. You have been there for me since the beginning and I can never thank you enough."_

 _Ren smiled at her. She and another were the only people who he has ever shown any emotion towards. "I already forgave the village. It is not in my nature to hate. Even if I'm hated."_

 _The elder wiped her puffy red eyes. She loved him like a son and just like any mother, it pained her to know that her child was being punished and harmed._

 _Before she could say anything else, a booming voice from around the corner spoke up._

 _"Wake up Heretic! You have a meeting with the council!"_

 _Fear crept onto the elder's face. The voice was deep and full of malice and the recognizable attitude with confirmed her fear. It was the head of the guardians for the village. She had no idea they would have him as Ren's escort. She quickly turned to Ren as he narrowed his eyes in the direction of the voice._

 _"Ren!" she earned his attention back. "Please come home after the meeting! It is extremely important that you-"_

 _Before she could finish, the head guardian turned the corner and banged his baton on one of the bars of a cell to alert his presence._

 _He stomped towards Ren's cell as and opened it. "Let's go heretic, do not keep the council waiting!" he growled as he grabbed Ren by the collar and literally threw him into the adjacent stone wall of his cell. Without giving Ren time to recover from the impact of his head to the stone, the head guard continued to push and shove him out the building._

" _Ease your grip on him! He is but a boy guardian!" The elder exclaimed only to be ignored as the two turned the corner._

 _"Oh Ren" the elder whispered, with tears forming. She shook her head hard and had a stern look. "No I cannot cry now, I must hurry, my time is short!"_

 _When Ren landed outside, as he was kicked out the door and onto the ground, he had to shield his eyes due to the brightness of the sun. He was kept in the dark, literally for days and the light slightly burned his eyes._

 _He didn't mind the darkness at all but he could have done without the nightly beatings he received from the guardians. It took a few seconds and blinks to adjust his eyes to the outside and when he saw his village, he wished he'd didn't._

 _Ren could see that the destruction has yet to be completely fixed. Many buildings were still destroyed with rubble and pieces everywhere. Houses were under construction with dozens of workers all over the place._ _Everywhere he turned he saw people rebuilding and cleaning their village which looked as if a tornado had struck it. He could see the expressions on some people's faces. Some looked angry, others scared, and a majority in tears and sorrow. Then there were some who didn't dare say a word or show any emotion as they continued working or going about their business. Ren saw that a memorial had been built to honor and remember the loved ones who weren't lucky to survive._

 _As Ren slowly got up he noticed several dozen armed guardians around the front building looking at him with hatred in their eyes._

 _The head guardian quickly shoved Ren back down to the ground where he then placed chains on his legs and hands making mobility difficult. It was harder now for Ren but slowly he got up only to be yanked by the head guardian who shoved his knee into Ren's stomach causing him to collapse again._

" _Get up boy!" He exclaimed._

 _Ren, panting heavily, did as he was told and when he got up some of the villagers near him all stopped and stared at him. Everything became eerily silent. The guardians all tensed and so did Ren. And that's when the screaming started._

" _HERETIC!"_

" _MURDERER!"_

" _YOU TOOK MY BELOVED!"_

 _"TRAITOR!"_

 _Villagers rushed towards Ren in groups with blunt objects, rocks, and even a few with dangerous weapons. He could see the hatred and malice in their eyes with some looking psychotic while others were in a blind rage. Before they could get closer to Ren, various guardians jumped into the fray pushing, hitting, stunning, and knocking back any civilian in front of them back. Some who did manage to slip past threw objects such as glass, rocks, and even spit and toward Ren as he dodged the best he could. He was struck several times all over his body due to the chains restricting him._

 _He heard screaming from behind him and saw a woman charging with a knife in hand but then saw two guardians tackling and beating her. Other civilians fought back with everything they had. The screaming and cursing weighed heavy on his heart as he watched with saddened eyes._ _The guardians all tried to keep order but were quickly losing ground. In desperation, many would go to their more effective weapons and strike down many in hopes of knocking them out._

 _"Damn it back up, back the hell up!" guards would yell as they hit every villager in their path. Some were pulled and hit by people and weapons while fighting back. Even with their armor they had still felt some of the impacts._

 _Without warning Ren was dragged by a few guardians through other areas of the village where they faced more civilians causing havoc. It took some time for Ren and the head guardian to make it to the main square. When they were close to rounding a corner, the head guardian grabbed Ren by the throat and threw him towards a stone wall. He then shoved his baton right onto Ren's neck as the helpless boy gagged._

" _You son of a bitch!" he growled. "I should just toss you out to the crowd right now or better yet, I should just kill you myself!" He growled as he pulled his pistol out and aimed it at Ren's head. "Why should my men be ordered to protect a Heretic? Why do I have to fight to protect worthless trash like you?"_

 _He pushed his baton harder causing Ren to gasp. With gritted teeth the guardian released his baton causing Ren to gasp and pant as air reentered his lungs._

 _"On your feet heretic!" He yanked Ren up. "We're here!"_

 _The duo turned a corner and faced a large stone building; the councils court room. They entered and were now in a large, circular room with rows of benches filled with villagers who weren't as wild as those outside._

 _In the front of the courtroom there were five large stands that held five seats and individual tables with four elder villagers, who dressed in similar fashion to the honorable elder who visited him. It was the Honorable Council. Ren noticed the seat on the far right empty, his honorable elder wasn't here._

 _Now unshackled, Ren was shoved into the middle of the circular room where he stood in front of a brown podium looking up at the council with all eyes on him._

" _Lie, Monty Oum, Ren." The middle elder started. His voice was raspy but firm. "For the actions and sins that you have committed, we, the council, hereby exile you out of the Sacred Village of Lotus with no chance of redemption. You are to never return or set foot in the village ever again, for if you do, the penalty is death. You are to leave immediately within the course of three hours, with all of your belongings. Anything you leave behind is to be burned by our holy fires, so travel with everything you have. Say your goodbyes and may our beloved goddess forgive your wretched soul and cleanse you of your cursed self."_

 _Ren lowered his head as his bangs trailed over his eyes._

 _'May the goddess forgive their blinded souls.' Ren mentally said._

 _"Do you have any final words to present to the council heretic?" one female elder asked._

 _Ren was silent for a second before raising his head and looked directly towards the council._

" _Honorable council," He started. "Even though you insult, damn, curse, and beat me… I know who I am. I am not a heretic. I am merely an outsider who follows his own path just as everyone does. You may exile and blame me for actions that are not my doing. But by doing so you may never change who I am. I follow the path of balance and have accepted who I am. I am drawn to the darkness but I do not lose my light. But if my village's leaders are too paralyzed and blinded by their inability to see the truth about me and what I speak, then I fully accept my punishment."_

" _You retched little-"_

" _That is enough councilmen." The head elder said to his fellow colleague._

 _"He has said what he wanted. Now be gone heretic and never may we catch you here again. This meeting is concluded, go with peace to all, except you." he said while looking into Ren's eyes._

 _Ren was then escorted out of the courthouse, but not without the verbal abuse he received from the spectators in the benches._

 _"How far the mighty have fallen." He whispered as he was shoved again._

 _It took some time, and constant vigilance from villagers, but Ren eventually made it to his house located out in the small corner of the village next to the forest. It was a decent two story house that was black with a green roof and pink highlights on the sides. It was located near the corner of the village's safe zone._

" _You have two hours to gather your things and leave." said the head guardian. "You will leave through here because dragging your ass to the front gate is not a privilege you deserve."_

 _The shackles on Ren's legs and hands were released as the guardian grabbed is shoulder. "Don't try anything funny. If you do, I'll kill you, NOW GO!" The guard then shoved Ren up the porch stairs and towards the door._

 _Shaking his head Ren walked into his house and went straight into his room. The house belonged to the honorable elder and he felt blessed to be in a lovely home with love from someone. It angered him to know that people looked disgusted at the elder every time she was with him. It wasn't fair or right for her to be the target of hatred based on association with him. She had been the one who raised him as best she could. Always protecting and caring for him. In a way, she was like an actual second mother to him. Not that he ever actually met his birth parents._

 _He hurriedly packed all of his things which actually took less than twenty minutes as he didn't have nor need a lot to begin with. He had everything ready from his clothing, his books, his personal means of entertainment and everything. Knowing he still had a little more time for himself, Ren decided to take this opportunity to shower away all of the dirt, dry blood and sweat that coated his prisoner outfit. And besides that, bright orange colors were not a good look on him._

 _When he finished, he entered with nothing but a black towel around his waist. His recent wounds were now gone thanks to his aura but unfortunately the scars of the two lash marks on his left pectoral were a constant reminder of how much the village hated him._

 _Many thoughts rushed through his head as he replayed everything._

 _A few days ago, the village fell prey to a massive attack by the creatures of Grimm. It was almost impossible for them to have entered without the gates and boarders failing. But one day, on a hot afternoon, one of the gate's barriers exploded taking down other boarders and thus letting in the creatures of darkness by the hordes. Ren grimaced over the things he saw. They were everywhere and the village was in panic with screams heard for miles. The body counts and fighting were everywhere. He remembered fighting as hard as he could to protect his beloved elder and close friend which they barely escaped from in one piece. Eventually, which could have been luck, the villagers drove the creatures away earning a major victory for their home; but at a high price. Most of the village was destroyed with hundreds either killed or missing. The victory was bitter sweet and would never be worth the lives that paid for it._

 _Unfortunately, when the attention went towards figuring out how the creatures entered to begin with, it wasn't long before the accusations started flying. Some said they witnessed Ren near the borders gate, placing something down before running away. Of course it was a lie as he was with his the elder shopping for food when the attack happened. Although he had a clear alibi and witnesses to vouch for him, none testified. None except his the elder and his only friend._

 _Of course nothing could change the decision already made by the elder before the trial, even with the evidence all there._

 _So now here he was, about to be falsely exiled and shunned from the only place he ever knew. He was to be tossed out into the wilderness which wasn't going to affect him. Ren has trained for years in the art of surviving, learning about each biomes and he knew how to hunt and fight even without his weapons which were destroyed during the attack._

 _When Ren finally got dressed, he went downstairs with his black and green duffle bag and placed it down near the door. That's when he noticed the door opening. Fearing that it was the guardian, Ren sighed in disappointment as he would not be able to say his goodbyes._

 _"Ren!"_

 _Ren raised his head when he heard a familiar sweet, feminine voice and saw that it was the elder. He smiled as she immediately rushed to embrace the boy with the tightest hug he had ever received._

" _Oh thank the goddess that you are still here Ren! I feared the worst when I heard what happened at the main street! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?! By the goddess I swear if they did I will-"_

" _Please restrain your anger honorable elder." Ren started with a smile. "I am fine, you know my aura is abnormally large and fast, so my recovery is always quick."_

 _The elder sighed and nodded. "You have a point; you do get that from your mother." Then she gasped and remembered. "That's right! I came here to get what must be yours! Come quickly child our time is short!" she exclaimed as she ran to the basement._

 _Ren stood confused for a moment before quickly following._

 _When he made it down, he saw the elder removing a painting from the wall adjacent to the staircase and revealed a flat safe with a digital keypad. In all his years of living in the house, he never noticed such a high tech safe and was surprised that the elder owned one. He watched as she quickly typed in a few numbers which caused the safe to beep three times before popping the main door open. The interior was dark, very dark as he saw nothing but black. Then he saw a the elder pull out a large black brief case and placed it on a wooden table in the middle of the room._

" _Honorable Elder," Ren started. "What is inside the case?"_

 _The elder turned and smiled. "Inside this case, lie sacred items that belonged to your parents."_

 _Ren's eyes widened._

 _'Items from my parents…' He thought._

 _Throughout his whole life, Ren knew very little of his parents. They passed away when he was born. His mother died while giving birth to him and his father was killed by an unknown adversary. He didn't have any photos of his parents nor did he have any memories of them either. He only went by the stories the elder told about them and always reminded him that he always got "this" and "that" from either one of his parents which pleased him. She would always tell him about their adventures in the village but never about what they did for a living. When he saw the case it was probably the biggest thing he was about to see from his parents._

" _I'm sorry I didn't tell you about these earlier." The elder said with frown. "I wanted to wait until you were a little older but… I guess this can't wait any longer"_

 _She opened the case slowly and looked down at the items stored within. Ren could have sworn he saw a tear drop from her eyes the moment she laid eyes inside. She then turned the case over to Ren and what he saw shocked him._

 _The first thing he noticed was the weapons. It was a pair of green duel automatic pistols with long blades attached underneath the barrels. There were highlights of dark black along the sides of the pistols with the symbol of a small pink lotus on the each gun's grips._

" _These." The elder said. "Are titled, 'Storm Flower'; they were the weapons of your father during his time as huntsman." She said as she watched the boy examine them in awe._

" _Wait… huntsman?" Ren asked._

 _He had heard a lot about them growing up. They were described to be the best in combating the creatures of Grimm. Ever since he was a child he had always wanted to meet one. He read so many autobiographies on veteran hunters that it fascinated him to imagine the world that he would see through the eyes of a hunter. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine his father choosing the lives of hunters. They really weren't as simple as he thought they'd be._

" _Yes." The elder replied with a nod. "Both your parents were in fact hunters. Some of the best mind you. Together, those two were as deadly as a pack of wolves… and they were the pride of this village." She said sadly._

 _Ren looked at the elder. "Were?"He asked. The elder hung her head a little._

" _Yes… a few months before you were born, an incident occurred which I'd… rather not discuss about… caused the village to almost plunger into chaos. Your parents prevented it but… your father sacrificed himself in order to do it. Then your mother was accused of being responsible for initiating the chaos and was marked as a heretic. The same title went to your father and was branded as a traitor for aiding your mother."_

 _Ren was silent for a moment. He then couldn't help but slightly laugh at the irony._

 _'Like parents like children I guess.' He thought._

 _His eyes turned to the next pair of items inside the case. It was a pair of black fingerless gloves which held the symbols of a pink lotus on the forehand on each glove._

" _Those," The elder pointed to the gloves. "Are your mother's gloves she called, 'Goddess' Guardians'. Those gloves are very special because they have the ability to tap into your aura and produce barriers, or shields if you will, from out of the palms of your hands… literally."_

 _Ren raised an eyebrow. He had heard of many different types of equipment and weaponry that used auras before but none as unique as these._

The elder smiled as she watched Ren in deep thought. " _Ren, you must honor your parents and treasure these as you would your own life. I have kept them a secret from this village for so long but now seeing you with them brings happiness to my heart. Now wherever you go, you will always be protected by your parents."_

 _Ren carefully put on the gloves and discovered them to be a perfect fit. He then picked up the weapons and found them to be surprisingly light in his hands. Something about it felt right to him but he couldn't explain why._

 _The elder smiled as she watched silently_

 _'Monty…. Sheena… you both would be so proud of him.' She thought to herself._

 _Ren soaked in the image of wearing his mother's gloves and wielding his father's weapons._

 _'Could this be destiny?' Ren thought._

 _His exile, his personality and beliefs all led him down the similar path of his parents. And yet, it felt incomplete. He may not see things the way overly optimistic people do but he knew his choices made him stronger as a person. So he reached a conclusion._

" _Honorable elder… I have made a decision." He turned to the elder. "I will continue to follow my path… but I will also follow the path of my parents. And so I ask of you… where did my parents learn to become hunters?"_

 _The elder gasped for a second then smiled softly. 'It was only a matter of time I suppose.'_

 _"They studied at Beacon Academy which is located in the city of Vale. Its northeast of here but very far away and the road to it without transportation is very dangerous. Also the entrance exams aren't due for another six months in September. If you are planning to do what I think you are, I advise you to not take it lightly Ren. Beacon is known to have the elites amongst the elites and weeds out everyone else. The headmaster is a good man but the school is picky with the incoming freshman. From your parents graduating class, 500 students applied and at the end of their senior year only 50 graduated."_

 _Ren nodded in understanding. Beacon sounded like a tough school and would be perfect for him. If the entrance exams aren't for another six months then he has that time to prepare._

 _Of course, Ren trained for a majority of his life in martial arts and semblance management. But the original weapons he created were damaged beyond repair. The Storm Flower pistols felt so different that he would use these six months of isolation to hone his skills and prepare for Beacon._

" _It has been decided then." Ren walked around the table and bowed in front of the elder gently holding her right hand. "I, Lie Monty Oum Ren, hereby swear to you, my guardian elder, that I will work hard and become a huntsmen so that I may protect those in need and to follow the path of my family as I believe it is my destiny. I will not fail you honorable elder."_

 _The elder felt tears run down her face. She couldn't help but embrace the boy who embraced her back._

" _I know you can do it Ren. I believe in you." She whispered as she released him. Then she remembered something else, something just as important which caused her to curse underneath her breath. Her old age had started to catch up with her._

 _The elder rushed back to the safe and searched all around the inside before she felt something hard and pulled it out. It was a smaller black box and it felt a little heavy. She grunted as she handed it to Ren as he looked at it curiously._

" _Inside that box is everything your parents used to study the creatures of Grimm and Beacon. They aren't just going to see your physical skills. Also inside is… the life insurance code for both your parents." Ren looked up with a raised eyebrow. "When you get to vale you may show your social identification to prove that you are the child of both of them. Then you may acquire the financial currency from your parents. They did leave a lot behind and since I won't be there to provide for you… well, I guess you really are becoming an adult then."_

 _The elder then took out a specific envelope. "Also..." the elder opened it and removed the only thing inside, a photo, "This... is the only photo of your parents… it was taken a few months before your birth."_

 _Ren went wide eyed as he examined the image on the photo. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was his parents with his father looking like a young handsome man with tan skin and long black hair. He was wearing an all black combat attire which was similar to Ren's. In his hands Ren's father was holding Storm Flower proudly with a smirk. Standing next to him was a young Caucasian woman with long black hair with streaks of pink going down her bangs. Her skin was pale with magenta colored eyes and stood a few inches shorter than Ren's father with her own all black attire that matched the outfit of Ren's father. Her weapons were two duel blades that were sheathed on her back. She had her arms crossed but showed both of her hands which were covered by her gloves. Ren also noticed the slight bulge from her belly and realized that it was him._

 _He couldn't help but let a tear out. His parents both looked so strong and warrior like and he was proud to be the son of two beautiful and honorable people. He gained individual features from both his parents and felt truly happy for once in his life that he finally had closure._

 _Ren slowly tucked the photo into his pocket and embraced the elder. Even now, she provided him enough currency for his own life and provided a photo of his parents._

 _"Thank you." He said, not only to her but to his parents as well._

 _The elder smiled and then checked her watched and realized that it was almost time for him to go. Her heart ached again as she struggled not to break down._

" _It's almost time Ren… lets go upstairs."_

 _He nodded and went back to collect the case, with the weapons inside, only to be stopped when the elder called out to him._

"Oh, _I forgot one more thing. Toss the pistols up into the air and make sure they are near the cuffs of your coat."_

 _Ren looked confused but nodded and did so._

 _When the pistols went into the air they were immediately absorbed into the cuffs of his coat, much to his surprise. "Those guns are collapsible, which means they can shrink and enter your sleeves without damage. Your father was truly creative with his work. He nearly cut himself all the time trying to perfect it. And if you want to ever use them, simply thrust out your arms in any direction and they will land automatically into your palms, ready for use."_

 _Ren smiled and nodded as he grabbed the case and ran up the stairs behind the elder._

 _When they got to the ground floor Ren went and grabbed his duffle and strapped it around his shoulder. The elder had a heavy look of sorrow in her eyes but remained silent as she watched him prepare for departure. Ren reached for the doorknob and held it within his grasp for a minute in silence. He turned and looked all around his soon to be old house and felt some pain in leaving its warmth and protection. He sighed silently, pushing the sorrowful thoughts out of his head and turned the knob._

 _ **(Emotional Music Start: Ashes Remain: Right Here)**_

When outside, _the guard examined Ren's attire and scoffed by what he was seeing._

 _"A good look for someone like you, you'd fit right in with the creatures of Grimm." He said sarcastically._

 _Ren narrowed his eyes but said nothing as he continued walking off of the porch and into the soft fields of grass. He turned to face the distant village that was down the slope of his home and silently paid the last of his respects with hope that one day he would return._

 _He turned back to his elder and embraced her. The soft hug was enough to break the defenses the elder tried to hold up as she buried her head into his chest and released her long, sorrowful sobs deep into his coat._

" _Please… please be careful….out there. Make… make me proud… and make… your parents… proud too. You'll always be our little boy." She said in between sobs. Ren nodded and looked down at his care taker._

" _I will honorable elder and I promise that one day, we will be reunited but with me as a huntsmen and stronger than you can ever imagine."_

 _The elder nodded and was about to say something else until she caught sight of someone approaching from the corner of her eye. She turned, as did Ren, and saw that it was a girl and instantly recognized that wild orange hair anywhere. The girl, who always had a smile on her face, had a look of despair. Her crazy, wild self was replaced with a quietness that was unusual for her. Her bright blue eyes were red and puffy from the crying she had done and looked to be in a wreck._

 _Ren stared to see the newcomer and right away knew who it was. There was no doubt about it, it was his best and wild friend, his only friend; Nora Valkyrie. Ren let go of his elderly mother and walked a few steps forward towards Nora._

" _Nora," he started. "how are-"_

 _He was tackled to the ground, knocking the wind right out of him._

" _PLEASE DON"T LEAVE!" Nora shouted. "DON'T LEAVE REN PLEASE!" she pleaded and sobbed into his chest as she embraced him tighter._

 _Ren held her as she unleashed loud, weeping sobs into his coat. He could fell the wetness of her tears and couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the sight of Nora's state. This was not how his friend ever acted. She was always the bubbly, happy girl who didn't even know the meaning of sadness. Now here she was crying her eyes out expressing great deals of sorrow and he felt helpless to stop it._

 _After a few minutes, Nora finally calmed down enough for the both of them to get up. Ren then grabbed both of Nora's shoulders as he looked her dead in the eyes._

 _"Nora, you have been my best friend since we were children. You were the only one who has ever stood by my side as a friend. Words cannot explain how much gratitude I owe to you." He cupped her cheek with his left hand. "Although I'm forced to leave, I promise that one day I will return and we will see each other again. I will always treasure our friendship and think fondly of you as you hold a special place in my heart," Nora couldn't help by sniff and cry as he said those words._

 _'You jerk!' She mentally said. 'How dare you be all sweet, cool, and... handsome right now!'_

 _Nora wiped her tears and leaned in closer to her best friend as he smiled down at her._ " _But… but Ren… I need you… who will… go on wacky adventures with… me!"_

 _Nora was beginning to breathe heavily as Ren shushed her._

" _Nora, our adventures aren't over. In fact, I believe they are just beginning. Please don't cry. I want to remember my best friend for the crazy bubbly girl that she is. Do me a favor and please look after my elderly mother for me while I'm gone. Can you do that for me… my queen of the castle?"_

 _Nora giggled slightly and her heart raced when she heard Ren use the nickname she forced him to call and nodded vigorously._

 _"Anything for you Ren… I mean… my little black sloth." She smiled with her usual toothy grin trying to_

 _Ren smiled at his own nickname and bobbed Nora on the tip of her nose._

" _Boop." He said._

 _Nora couldn't help but giggle again as more tears fell. She was really going to miss him. He was the first person who had shown kindness to her when they were kids; the first who didn't try to avoid her because of her personality. He even the only one who wasn't scared of her father for being within two feet of her; and that's why he was one who had stolen her heart._

" _Ren… there's something I-"_

 _ **(Emotional Music End)**_

" _NORA!"_

 _Nora paled when she heard that voice._

 _All heads turned to the sight of an angry brute of a man running up to the small group. He was large and muscular with a goatee and orange hair in a short buzz cut. He had cerulean blue eyes and wore a guardian's armored uniform with no helmet and an automatic rifle strapped to his back._

 _'Oh no.' All three mentally thought_

" _NORA!" the man shouted. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? GET AWAY FROM THAT HERETIC!_

" _But dad!" Nora exclaimed as she jumped in front of Ren, "He isn't a heretic! You know he didn't do it! The evidence shows-"_

" _SHUT UP!" Nora's father exclaimed. "DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME!"_

 _He reached the small group with his face red as a tomato. He glared at Ren as he gritted his teeth and balled up his hands into fists._

" _You…" he growled to Ren."GET THE HELL OUT OF MY VILLAGE!"_

 _Ren stood his ground and narrowed his eyes. "I was going to-"_

" _JUST GO!" Nora's father shouted again._

" _Dad please!" Nora shouted as she grabbed his arm. "You know he couldn't have done it! He was with me and-"_

 _SMACK_

 _Nora collapse roughly on the ground as her cheek stung and swelled red from the mighty force she was hit by. She turned in shock and fear to see her father with his hand in the air glaring at her._

" _D-daddy…" Nora couldn't muster up anymore as tears fell from the sheer pain in her cheeks."_

" _DON'T YOU EVER TALK BACK TO-"_

" _YOU MONSTER!" Ren exclaimed as he dashed towards Nora's father and sent his fist square into the behemoth's jaw. The force pushed the large man slightly off balance as he looked shocked and spat out blood. He turned slowly to see Ren in a fighting stance as anger swelled up within him._

" _I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He shouted and charged._

 _Ren stood ready to fight when suddenly he felt a jab of pain in his back._

 _He fell from the pain and saw that it was the head guardian, with his baton, standing behind Ren with gritted teeth._

" _REN!" both Nora and the elder shouted._

 _They watched helplessly as Ren was helplessly beaten into a bloody pulp. They watched in horror as he grunted and yelped at every hit he took. Nora was in tears as she couldn't take her eyes off of the scene. The elder was screaming covering her eyes and bawling._

 _A good ten minutes went by before both men stopped and panted heavily. The head guardian yanked Ren's head up by his hair and whispered in his ear._

 _"Next time I see you assaulting one of my men, YOU'RE REALLY DEAD!" He slammed Ren's face into the ground._

 _Nora's father hovered over Ren's body as a shadow shrouded the poor defenseless boy._

 _"IF you ever come near daughter again I'LL kill you!" He kicked the boy square in the stomach as Ren grunted and coughed up blood. Nora's father grabbed his daughter roughly and started dragging her away._

" _Ren! REN!" Nora shouted as she was dragged farther and farther away from the boy who she cared for. The last thing she saw before losing sight of him was his hand barely rising from the ground as he gave her a small wave._

 _Tears streamed down Nora's face as she saw him slowly wave._

 _"I"LL NEVER FORGET YOU REN! I SWEAR ONE DAY WE"LL BE REUNITED!"_

 _When Nora was out of sight, Ren slowly, and sorely, rose after a few seconds with his face swollen and his body aching all over. The last thing he wanted his friend to see was his badly looking face at the moment._

" _Ren!" he heard his elder mother call out to him. "We have to get you to a doctor!"_

" _The only place we are getting him is out of here!" The guardian shouted. The elder glared at him._

" _YOU'RE A MONSTER! He's but a boy and you nearly beat him to death! Have you no shame!?"_

" _He lucky I didn't go all the way!" the guardian replied and spat on the grass. "Now get up and start walking boy!"_

 _Before the elder could argue back, Ren placed a hand on the elder's wrist as he slowly got on his feet. His aura should be done healing him in about three to six hours but he would still be feeling the aching sensation for days. He turned to the elder who looked at him in concern._

" _Ren…" she whispered._

" _It's alright." Ren replied. "It's time for me to leave."_

 _Ren embraced the elder one last time and looked at her as her eyes reddened again, "Please don't shed your tears anymore. Also please, look after Nora for me. I know things won't be the same but protect her. I fear her father has done something that has greatly affected her."_

 _The elder nodded. "I will, do not worry I will watch over her like I did you… just please take care Ren… I love you and I'll miss you."_

" _Ren smiled and nodded. "I love you too. And I'll see you soon honorable… mother."_

 _Turning to face the head Guardian, Ren_ _nodded to him out of respect. The guard simply stared and pointed him to the forest without saying a word._

 _Ren understood and grabbed his duffle. He strapped it on his back but flinched as he held his left side from the pain. He turned to look at the village one last time and then to his elderly mother. He truly did hate goodbyes._

 _"I will see you later." He said and nodded to her. He then turned and walked into the forest where the shadows immediately shrouded him. The last thing he heard was the loud sobbing of his elderly mother as he faded farther into the darkness of the forest, fighting hard not to look back._

' _Six months seemed to go by fast.'_ Ren thought as he felt new tremors started to shake the ground again. He opened his magenta colored eyes and looked up into the sky. By his estimate the sun was about to rise within an hour.

 _'Did I really think about that day for so long?'_ He thought.

Ever since his exile, Ren's journey towards Vale was certainly interesting. He trained to the best of his abilities each day for the last six months. Within that time, Ren had read everything there was in the small black box until he memorized it all by heart. The forest and biomes were his equipment and now he was about to see if it was all worth it. The time was nigh for him as Beacon's first entrance exams were only a few days away. He had learned that Beacons has a series of different tests for those who were not offered to go and have a chance to earn a spot to be accepted.

Eagerness and anxiety were crawling through his skin. He had traveled a great distance, navigating himself through perilous trails all the while avoiding the creatures that dwell within the shadows. The moon, the stars and the sun were his guide and brought him closer to the end of his journey. Now he just a few miles away from his objective, waiting in silence for the final day to arrive.

It was strange to know that Vale was surrounded by four different forests. There was the unnamed forest to the north which consisted of mountains covered in snow and tundra. Then there was the superstitious Forest of Red Ash which was to the east; the Celestial Forest to the located in the south. And then, there was the forest he was currently in; the Emerald Forest, located in the west. The forest was large but not as large as the Forest of Red Ash.

He had arrived to his location within a few weeks into his exile and had begun his temporary living nomadically. In doing so Ren faced multiple obstacles and learned from his mistakes; one being that it was essential to never sleep in the same place twice while in the forest. Within time Ren gained a great deal of knowledge. If it wasn't for his training prior to his exile, he would have probably died within a few weeks.

He had improved his fighting overtime as well, training with his newly gifted weapons on many things, mostly on Grimm. It helped him to better understand his opponent as he analyzed each of their abilities and weak points.

Realizing how the crack of dawn was upon him, it was time to move, officially, out of the forest. His home once consisting of trees and bushes shall now be replaced with buildings and furniture. The black haired teen stood up giving his legs a moment to wake up before jumping over the water and onto the soft soiled ground.

He walked up to a tree where he laid his duffle and quickly picked it up and brushing off any leaves or dirt off of it. Once the bag was secured on his back, Ren was about to move when he suddenly heard rustling a few feet away from him. His instincts automatically kicked in as he turned to the sound with narrowed eyes seeing a bush sway slowly by itself. There was another rumbling after which lasted for a few seconds and then disappeared.

Ren gave one last look at the bush before slowly beginning his walk in the opposite direction.

As he traveled, Ren looked around at the scenery. With the sun higher, the leaves were shining green off of their black trees. They were green all year long which amazed him to see how different the forests were. His thoughts then went to the Celestial forest where he read that the leaves there are golden all year long but turn blackish purple underneath the full moon's light. It sounded poetic and he vowed that one day he would visit it as he could almost relate to the forest itself. Like him, the celestial forest seemed to embrace both the light and the darkness. Whether or not it was just his imagination of that message, it did not matter.

As Ren continued walking, another wave of tremors shook underneath him.

' _There it is again.'_ Ren thought as he stood perfectly still.

The quakes were petty but had been acting up lately. At first, Ren believed it to be the ground settling. But the more it was happening, the less he believed his original hypothesis. He had a few others ideas but waited a little longer to see if one was true.

He continued on his way at a slow pace, passing a few more trees when suddenly his instincts called out to him.

 _'Danger!'_ It screamed.

It was too late, he took another step and the ground beneath him , Ren jumped high into the air, using his aura to strengthen his jump and landed on a thick tree branch that was right above him. He kneeled over and looked down to see the once hard ground beneath him now nothing more than a deep abyssal pit where black consumed the entire void. He examined the pit closely and narrowed his eyes.

 _'That isn't natural.'_ He thought. ' _The pit is a perfect circle with no rough edges or anything. Something must have_ -'

Ren turned when he heard a loud, aggressive roar behind him. He caught a glimpse of a large bulge of black just before he leaped up and twirled onto another tree branch narrowly escaping the incoming mass of black. When he landed, he heard a large snap and saw the branch he was just standing on snap in two so easily by the jaws of what he identified as a creature of Grimm.

' _No doubt about it now.'_ Ren mentally said as he stared down the creature.

It was a large, reptilian-like creature with no forelimbs. Its skin was scaly and shrouded in the darkest of black standing on two hind limbs which had duel sided claws on each end. It had a thick long tail with small spikes sticking out around the tip. Its head was stubby with bonelike coverings on its head which looked like a helmet made of bone. Its glowing red eyes glared up at Ren as it roared showing its massive jaws and sharp white teeth. Its jaws were definitely the most to be concerned about, noting how it easily snapped a thick branch in seconds. He had studied this kind of creature in the books he read.

 _'It's a Creep.'_ Ren mentally said with a raised eyebrow as he stared at the beast.

' _But why is it in the Emerald Forest? These things are supposed to inhabit Mountain Glenn. The only Grimm in these parts of the forest are Ursa, Beowulves, Deathstalkers, and occasionally Nevermores.'_

The Creep roared into the sky as a few startled ravens and crows squawked and flew away. Ren looked at the fleeing birds and then back down to the Grimm and suddenly felt the largest tremor he had ever felt in the forest. Among the rumbling came more Creeps from out of the ground with a few more emerging from behind bushes. In sync they roared and huddled together, staring at Ren with hungry eyes and drooling lips.

 _'…13…14… 15 in total.'_ Ren narrowed his eyes. ' _This makes no sense but I don't have time for this. If these beasts are permitted to stay here they will devour the innocent creatures. I better do something.'_

"Try and keep up!" Ren shouted as he started jumping from tree branch to tree branch away from the creeps

 _ **(Combat Music Start: We As Human: Taking Life)**_

The Grimm roared in anger as their prey ran and immediately charged after. Their speed was impressive as well as destructive as they ran destroyed several trees in their path in hopes of shaking Ren off.

Ren grunted as he added more of his aura to his feet which enhanced his speed and mobility. The Creeps were persistent and continued to get farther away from them.

When he felt he was a good distance away, he jumped on one particular branch that was longer than the others. He turned, thrusting each arm and summoned both his StormFlower weapons and pointed it down the trail where the Creeps would be coming from.

He stood patient and ready. His breathing was calm and his mind focused. It would be his first time engaging in battle with Creeps so it was both a last minute lesson and privilege to have.

It didn't take long for Ren to hear their roars, pacing and growls approaching his range. He could already make out their shapes in the distance. When they were closer, Ren diverted his guns away from the horde and towards two different trees rooted on adjacent sides of the trail the Grimm took and fired on them bullets. He unloaded mayhem on each tree's lower base, destroying their support. He silently apologized to the Goddess for hurting her trees.

When he stopped firing, the creeps were still running towards him, unfazed by the sound of his guns. Then Ren counted down.

"Three… two… one."

On cue both trees slowly into their damaged states started timbering down. The timing was perfect as both masses of lumber crashed into the ground with a few creeps caught and crushed by the sheer weight. Dirt and dust started to swarm around the crash site as Ren started loading fresh new magazines into his weapons. He waited like a stone statue, watching the dust disappear as he inspected the rubble with narrowed eyes.

Once the cloud of dust started to dissolve, he saw the remaining surviving creeps jump over the lumber, ignoring the casualties of their pack and continued charging. Ren counted again and saw that there were only 11 left. He had to drop them down lower.

He started shooting down at the remaining pack, specifically the ones in front. He knew that creeps armor was strong and located by its head so he focused his fire towards the closer one's bodies and limbs.

It rained bullets all around the front of the pack as a few shots penetrated the unluckier creeps causing them to tumble and roll onto the ground dead. Their bodies were ignored by the surviving ones as they evaded kept moving.

Ren was able to successfully put down three more, making their numbers drop to eight. However the Grimm were shortening the distance between them which meant Ren didn't have enough time to reload thus forcing him to retreat even further. He started double timing, moving faster and faster despite his duffle slowing him down. Extra cargo would cause him trouble in battle should he continue to hold on to it.

 _'Almost there,'_ He mentally said. _'It should be dead ahead!'_

Ren made haste in no time as he reached and jumped off the last tree on his trail and rolled onto his desired destination, a small grassy field, that was open.

 _'This is where it ends.'_ _He mentally said as he got to his feet and_ dashed towards the edge of the field.

Quickly, Ren unstrapped his duffle and tossed it behind a tree in a safe location then reloaded his weapons and took a fighting stance with his guns pointed towards the trail where is Creeps would arrive. He watched as the trail continued to remain empty and narrowed his eyes.

' _Wait a minute, no!_ ' Ren, suddenly he felt a tremor by his right foot and jumped just as the ground shattered beneath him. He watched as a Creep emerged from the hole and lunged itself on top of him. The beast swiped and clawed wildly as Ren shot the Grimm by its underbelly before kicking it over him.

He rolled back to his feet to see four creeps appearing out of nowhere charging. Ren charged back and jumped over one as he shot the other behind it. It was stunned for a few seconds, giving Ren enough time to slash the Grimm a couple of times before finishing it off with a shot under its head.

The other three rushed madly with two jumping towards Ren where he easily dived out of the way. The third one attempted to claw and bite at his head from behind but failed as Ren swiftly raised one of his guns up, absorbing the impact, pushing him a few yards back as he used the other to shoot the creep's limb knocking it off balance. He then ran up and stabbed the beast square in the back before pelting it dead with his other gun.

The remaining two charged again as Ren crouched and then timed his jump right. He twirled over them, shooting down one by its back wounding it. He then landed behind and retracted his guns, leaving his hands free to grab the Grimm by the tail, and with impressive strength, twirling it around throwing it straight towards the other right into its head as it attempted to lung him. He heard a satisfying _'snap'_ as before both crashed to onto ground dead.

More tremors erupted again, as Ren now relied on them to tell him where the Grimm were, He jumped and prepared for his next move as he watched one creep leap up trying to claw underneath him. Unfortunately, the Grimm was too slow and left its mouth wide open for Ren to summon his weapons again and opened fired.

When he landed, he readied himself for the other three to emerge. The tremors were rumbling all over now with no clear indication as to where the next one would strike.

Realizing that the tremors wouldn't aid him now, Ren closed his eyes and relaxed his breathing as he stood calm and still.

 _'Concentrate; focus your mind on one, not all of them. Sense the closest one's presence.'_

He blocked out all other sounds him as his breathing slowed. He focused his attention on one of the tremors and followed it.

 _'Move!'_ His instincts screamed, and he did.

Ren dove forward, avoiding a swipe meant for his head. The creep emerged and roared in anger for missing and charged. Ren expected this and kicked its jaw sending it away. Their attack patterns were now easy to read he was ready to finish them.

The remaining two creeps soon emerged and lunged at Ren as his back was to them. With no time to shoot them, Ren retracted his guns and activated his gloves which let out a magenta sphere of Aura shroud around him. The creeps collided with the shield and were suddenly knocked back instantly.

Taking this time to act fast, Ren deactivated his shield and summoned his weapons again and shot both of the creeps point blank in their joints and then their underbellies killing them instantly.

As Ren was about to turn, a roar was heard too close to him as he saw the beast, which he kicked away, swiping at him. Barely having any time to block, the creep swiped Ren's weapons away and head butted itself directly into Ren's stomach knocking him back. The impact nearly knocked the wind out of him and he thanked the goddess that he was able to send some aura towards his abdominal just seconds before contact. Although it saved him it wasn't enough to stop the sharp pain he was feeling.

As Ren tumbled and rolled, he got an idea on hoped that it would be successful. If not… he would die.

As Ren quickly got back onto his feet, he noticed the creep, not wasting any time, charging right at him to deliver it's final blow with its jaws wide open.

Ren got into a pose with his right hand recoiled back and the other in a blocking form and channeled his aura into his right palm. When the beast was nearing him, Ren waited for the right time to strike as his palm started to glow a bright pink and then…

 _'Now!'_

Ren thrusted his right arm forward when the Creep jumped to him. As soon as his palm connected with the creep's forehead, it knocked the Grimm back a few yards and then started swelling up from within and exploded into pieces of itself everywhere.

 _ **(Combat Music End)**_

Panting heavily, Ren retracted his hand and exhaled a sharp breath. The new attack he invented always took its toll on him. Relaxing his breathing, he started to feel the sun's warmth reach his face and brightening the area around him. It was over and he won.

He looked around to see the Grimm's bodies slowly disintegrate into rose petals. He marveled at the sight as the wind rose the petals high into the sky, taking it away from the battleground.

Walking towards his weapons, Ren picked them up and examined both to see that there were no scratches. He was pleased with that as he retracted the weapons back into the cuffs of his coat. His father made great weapons. When he picked up his duffle, he dusted it off and strapped it back on him. He turned back to the open field, nodding respectfully, and then walked away.

Ren continued traveling, in silence, as he finally made it on top of a hill that gave him a sight to behold. For six months he had been traveling to it and now here he was. He could see many buildings that ranged in height with so many noises from cars, people and other attractions. Ren never did enjoy large crowds and didn't know how he was going to deal with having to stay in a city now. His thoughts turned to those would judge him but ceased the negative thoughts as it shouldn't be his problem. He had arrived and he will deal with leaving the comfort of isolation.

 _'Sacrifices must sometimes be made.'_ He thought as he stared at the city. This was where his journey would begin. No more side steps. No more setbacks. Now was the time to begin the main step, the first step towards his journey.

 _'So this is it.'_ Ren thought. ' _This is Vale. I wonder what adventures await for me here.'_

 **Well that's a wrap for the third and final trailer, The Green Trailer. Now that all of our black knights are introduced, the main story is about to begin.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there is any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story is now upon us.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	4. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome the official first chapter of "Derelicts In Black". You've witnessed the Red Trailer, then the Crimson Black Trailer and then the Green Trailer. But now it's time to move into the main story.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to begin the story.**

 **P.S. To those who skipped the trailers, I strongly recommend for you to read them first to understand the story better**

 **P.S. Let's see if we can create some awesome fan art the further we get into the story! Also a special thanks to "Metaldragon868" for becoming the official 100** **th** **follower.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Dreadnought: My plan for her is going to be revealed during the story's progression and to answer your second question you'll have to stay tune to find out if she is or isn't!**

 **To "Guest": Plans for her will be revealed in due time.**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 1: The Meeting

'L _egends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past._ _Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness — creatures of destruction — the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void._ _However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust."_ _Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life._ _But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return._ _So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world," but take heed... for there will be no victory in strength._

' _What an interesting concept to describe our origins.'_ Thought a girl cloaked in a red hood.

She placed the thick, brown book she had been reading back into its original shelf. It was a book of history titled, "From Darkness Came Dust". The girl had only read the introduction and already the book captured her interest. Though the words captivated her, she didn't need to continue any further reading. She was already well aware of mankind's origins. So she continued to browse the shelves and their literature and was about to pull another book until an announcement came on.

"Attention, would a miss Ruby Rose please come to the front desk please, your orders have just arrived. Again, would a miss Ruby Rose please come to the front desk, your orders have just arrived, thank you."

When the soft shopping music came back over the speakers, the girl sighed. She loved bookstores with a passion but was entirely uncomfortable with having her name announced for all to hear.

' _Guess that's what I get for asking the clerk to call me when it arrived.'_ She thought.

She couldn't hold any ill-emotion for it. The store was impressively large with five floors, various people constantly entering, and more books than she could ever count. Of course it would make sense for announcements to be made.

In the end it didn't matter as the girl, known as Ruby Rose, walked past the number of people who were in her way. She raised her hood so no one could see her, nor did she want them too and within a few seconds of walking, Ruby automatically remembered why she had hated cities in the first place.

' _Too many god damn people'_

With not a lot of space to move freely, Ruby felt cornered, vulnerable, and small. She wasn't all that tall to begin with and being surrounded by so many people who surpassed her in height didn't help.

After a few accidental bumpings, blocked paths by loiters, and delayed mobility, Ruby finally reached the pair of elevators that were located near the front of the building. She sighed in relief as she pushed the button and waited for the said elevators to arrive. She mentally cursed herself for being on the third floor, and not only that but all the way in the back which made her walk that much longer.

At first it was a good idea. She arrived in Vale at around six in the morning and had stayed in the bookstore for over five hours. When she entered, it was just opening at around seven where it was peaceful and quiet. Barely any customers were inside much to her liking. It made her feel as if she were the owner of all the books and silently enjoyed her time.

Now five hours later, a few people turned into larger crowds as they entered by the hordes. It made sense though, "Remnant's Finest Literature" was a major literature corporation and famous for being one of the bestselling book companies in all of Remnant.

And as much as it displeased Ruby to enter a place that would be crowded, she couldn't resist the countless literature, it was one of her weaknesses, and also because she had ordered her books from the store and they needed to be picked up.

There was a ding that snapped Ruby out of her thoughts as the elevator door opened. She sighed once more and quickly walked in without realizing the person exiting and immediately bumped into their shoulder.

The impact recoiled Ruby just a bit as she looked at the person she bumped into. Though she was small and looked petite, she had intensively trained for years under her uncle's teachings and she still had yet to understand her full strength.

When she looked up she saw that it was a slim teenage male who seemed fine despite how hard she bumped into him. In fact, much like her, he too recoiled only a little and it seemed as if he didn't notice her as well.

His facial expression was vague and he seemed rather stoic. His magenta colored eyes stared into her own silver pupils as she noticed from his eyelids that he was of Asian descent. He was taller than Ruby by a foot and a half with long, messy, black hair wrapped, mid-back, in a tight ponytail. She noticed the magenta streak dyed into one of the right bangs of his hair which seemed to match his eyes. He looked young but still older than herself, she guessed probably by a year or two. His skin was pale but nowhere compared to her own complexion. She couldn't help but like the attire he was wearing as well: an all-black outfit consisted of a black, diagonally-buttoned tailcoat with black and green trimmings and magenta cuffs, a dark green shirt beneath it, black pants, and black knee high combat boots. She noticed the pair of black fingerless gloves with a magenta lotus flower imprinted on both forehands. She then spotted the strap around his back and then noted that he carrying a large black duffle.

' _Must be a traveler.'_

The two continued to stare at each other, both with no readable emotion on their faces, until Ruby then remembered why they were in this position in the first place.

"My apologies," she started in a low voice. "I did not see you and I hope I didn't hurt you."

The boy looked at her then shook his head as he gave her a small, polite smile.

"No, the apology is mine." He replied in a smooth tenor voice. "I did not see you in my direction as well… and I'm fine thank you. But… what of you?" he asked.

Ruby noted his verbal usage. He sounded so distant and yet still sympathetic. She shook her head and gave him an awkward smile. She was not used to smiling.

"No… I'm fine. It… takes more than that to knock me down."

The boy stared at Ruby for a few seconds then chuckled. "Dually noted milady. Well then… please take care."

He gave a small bow while holding Ruby's hand up and gently placed a kiss on her glove cover forehand. Without turning to see her reaction, he exited the elevator and headed into the store.

Ruby stiffened but entered the elevator with a raised eyebrow as she pressed the first floor button. The boy had already disappeared into the crowd.

She looked at the hand that was kissed. She knew it was not a sign of flirtation, that much was certain. His facial expression was almost emotionless despite his smile and Ruby could tell when a man was attempting to flirt. She witnessed it too much for her liking due to a certain 'someone.'

" _If I'm correct on him being a traveler then perhaps that's how they gesture an apology or sign of respect wherever he comes from. If so then, despite being a stranger, he seems to have a decent code of morality.'_

When she arrived on the first floor, Ruby stepped off of the elevator and walked up to the front desk where a woman, presumably the store clerk, was typing away on her computer. She waited a good minute and a half for the woman to attend her but was ignored. She then cleared her throat, which caught the clerk's attention as she let out a startled shriek when seeing Ruby.

"Oh I'm sorry miss you gave me a fright." She said with a hand on her chest. "Is there anything you need help with today?" She asked offering Ruby a smile. _'This kid scared the hell out of me with that outfit! Does she think she belongs to the dead or something, or is she cosplaying?'_

Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She could tell a fake smile from a real one any day.

"Hello ma'am, I am Ruby Rose. I believe my orders are ready."

The woman blinked a few times by how emotionless the girl sounded, it was almost creepy.

' _what's with this girl?'_ The clerk thought as she jumped into a bubbly attitude.

"Ah yes Miss Rose! A colleague of mine did mention a Miss Rose! Please wait one moment."

The woman started typing away as Ruby waited, she knew the clerk already made some type of judgment on her but paid know mind. She was used to it.

"There we are!" The clerk called out. "Your orders consisted of one… 'The Grimm Reaper Saga box-set' and one order of… 'The Haunted Hunters Trilogy'. Is this order correct to you miss?

Ruby nodded.

"Wonderful, I'll go get them for you right now then. Just wait one moment please." The woman gave another smile to Ruby then walked away.

As she left, Ruby couldn't help but sigh.

' _I guess even in a city I'm still looked upon as eldritch._ ' She thought as she rubbed her forehead. ' _This is going to be a long day.'_

Ruby checked the time on the computer and saw that it was already one in the afternoon.

' _I guess I can go get some lunch after this.'_ She thought.

Just then Ruby heard heels tapping on the blue tiled floor and saw the woman walking back with her orders in both arms. The young teen couldn't help but feel some internal excitement at the sight of them.

"There we go." The clerk said as she set the books on the desk. "Since the order shows that you've already paid for them online, I will just print out a receipt and you can be on your way."

Ruby nodded as the receipt printed and watched the clerk bag the box-sets up in a big bag.

"Enjoy your books ma'am and have a nice day!" The clerk said. Ruby bowed her head as she picked up her bag and walked away silently.

' _Little freak.'_ Was the last thing the Clerk thought as she went back to typing.

As Ruby walked towards the store's doubled doors to head out, she looked through her bag in search of the receipt. She was so focused on finding it that she failed to notice someone in her way and accidentally bumped into that person which caused her to drop her bag where her box-sets fell out.

Ruby turned and was about to apologize and noticed that she bumped into a girl this time. She had long jet black hair that reached down to her mid-back with a black ribbon tied in the form of a bow on the top of her head. Her skin was a well-kept light olive complexion that Ruby admired. Her eyes were a breath taking amber color that looked identically similar to those of a black cat. Ruby noticed the girl's attire and, just like with the boy earlier, she liked the outfit she saw.

The first thing she looked at was a black buttoned vest over a dark silver, sleeveless undershirt with onyx short shorts over her charcoal colored leggings. The leggings were tucked into a pair of black ankle heeled boots. She liked the detached black sleeve over her left arm and the black ribbons wrapped around both of her wrists. The black choker around the girl's neck with the symbol of a silver crescent moon was something Ruby really liked and secretly wished she had one for herself.

When the girl turned, Ruby noticed that there was someone with her as well, looking at her.

It was a tall man whose eyes were covered by a pair of black sunglasses. His black hair was spiked up backwards in a side swept way and, just like Ruby's hair, dyed with crimson red streaks. There were two distinct horns that grew out from the top of his head moving back with his hair, hiding among a few strands. _'He's a Faunus'_ Ruby thought slightly intrigued. His skin was not pale white or olive like herself or his companion but it was somewhere in between the two. His attire consisted of a long-sleeved black trench coat with slit sleeves, Greek white symbols on his back and chest, and flame like designs on the coat's bottom edges. Ruby couldn't help but admire how fierce it made the male look. Underneath his coat, he wore a crimson buttoned undershirt with jet black pants and a pair of plain black shoes.

Both of them looked older than Ruby but not by a lot, like the boy earlier, she estimated two years at most.

The Faunus boy tucked his gloved covered hands into his pockets as he stared at Ruby. Again, she looked at his horns. She never had anything against the Faunus, quite the opposite, they actually intrigued her very much.

Ruby stopped looking at the horns and felt an incredible sense of Déjà vu suddenly hit her. The same situation she got herself into were showing the same results. Her staring at them and both of them staring back at her. Ruby, releasing an internal sigh, knowing it would not go anywhere if they simply stayed silent, just like when she bumped into the other boy in the elevator.

Quickly, Ruby bowed her head and spoke softly. "My apologies to the both of you. I was… not careful with where I was going and… I hope you two can forgive me."

The boy and girl looked at one another. The girl in red sounded almost emotionless but they said nothing of it.

When Ruby raised her head again, she saw the girl simply shrug. "It's alright, accidents happen right?"

Ruby nodded and bent down to gather her things.

' _This girl… isn't what I expected.'_ Thought the girl in black.

She found Ruby to be interesting. She looked like a character from a fairy tale she once read as a child. Especially with the red hood draped over her shoulders and head. However instead of a bubbly personality she was the opposite, like in a gothic version of the fairy tale, a Grim Tale.

' _Interesting_.' The girl thought as she watched Ruby pick up one of her box-sets. Bending down, the girl picked up the other and read the box's title cover.

' _The Grim Reaper Saga, sounds interesting.'_ She thought as she rose with the box in hand and handing it over to Ruby.

"That box-set… it looks… promising." The girl said in a calm voice.

Ruby was caught off guard slightly but didn't allow it to show on her face. It wasn't often for someone to compliment one of her tastes. She let a very small smile creep onto her face as she looked at the girl.

"Thank you I… love the author." She replied. "I… highly recommend… checking him out."

The Faunus boy watched the whole scene in front of him in silence.

' _She doesn't usually make conversation with anyone unless they catch her interest. I wonder what she finds interesting about this girl. I'll admit, she's definitely something new.'_

As Ruby placed her two box-sets into the bag, she nodded to both of them. "I guess… this is goodbye then. Again, sorry for… bumping into you. I hope… you can forgive me."

The girl shook her head.

"Like I said, accidents happen so it's fine." She turned to the boy, "It is about time for us to go in."

Ruby nodded and turned to walk away.

"Hey, hold on."

She turned back and saw that the voice came from the Faunus boy. He approached Ruby as she looked at him with a small glint of curiosity. There was no sense of danger from him which allowed her to remain relaxed. She then noticed his gloved hand extend out of his pocket while holding a piece of thin, rectangular paper. Ruby instantly recognized it as her receipt and looked at the boy again.

"You might want this. It fell out with the books." He said in a deep voice.

Ruby slowly raised her hand and took the receipt as the boy tucked his hand back into the safety of his pocket.

"Thank you." said Ruby as the boy shrugged.

"It's no problem."

Ruby nodded and slipped the receipt into the silver metallic pocket of her belt.

"Also," he continued. "A good choice with the Haunted Hunter's Trilogy. It just became a manga last year."

Ruby smile slightly, trying not to let her love of manga show too much on her face. "Thank you for telling me. I'll have to… look into it after I… finish reading these."

The boy smirked and nodded as he walked back to the girl who was waiting patiently. When he reached her, the two waved goodbye to Ruby who bowed to them and walked out of the store.

She replayed all the events that just happened in the past half hour. Never in her wildest imagination had Ruby ever thought that she would meet three very strange and yet very interesting individuals.

' _I guess this day is full of surprises'._ Ruby thought as she walked out into the broad afternoon sunlight. She pulled her hood lower to her face to block out the sunlight as she went on her way to find something to eat now.

As the day went on, things were going smoothly for Ruby. After collecting her books, she had lunch in a diner not too far from the bookstore. Despite a few glances and stares that she received while eating, things were peaceful.

After her meal, Ruby decided to travel to a large forest like park that she knew of. When she entered, she walked past the trees and bushes and already felt at home. Sure there was no snow but it was still lovely. She noticed that there was a good amount of people in the park today. It made sense considering that September was still technically summer. Some were walking, others jogged, and Ruby spotted a few families having picnics by the decent sized lake near the center of the park. She couldn't help but sigh as she watched two parents flying a kite with their young daughter. Then there was a younger preteen girl with the family who sat away from them and was busy typing away on her scroll.

Ruby felt a sting of irritation flare up before getting over it.

' _How foolish some people are to take advantage of what others don't have'._

She watched as the little girl jumped up and down as she finally got the kite to fly up into the air. Her parents were smiling and patting her head as the preteen looked up and simply shook her head before going back to her scroll. Ruby turned and sighed as she made her way past them.

' _Cherish these moments young one. For they may not last forever.'_ She mentally said as the little girl continued to smile and cheer. _'And you elder one, realize the good that you still have so far. Because it could be taken away from you in a blink of an eye and change everything forever.'_

After walking deeper into the forest, Ruby soon came across the perfect location to sit and read in seclusion. It was a small area with a large tree and multiple bushes grounded into the dirt. The tree had thick, varying branches that offered large amounts of shade, much to Ruby's satisfaction.

She approached and laid down with her back to the tree. She let out a relaxed sigh, enjoying the serenity of the small area with no one else around. She was comfortable enough to lower her hood. She then closed her eyes to feel the gentle gust of wind rush through her hair. Ruby then went into her bag to open one of her box-sets carefully and pulled out the first book of the series.

' _Finally, no people, no noises, and no interruptions.'_ Ruby mentally said to as she began reading the first book of The Grim Reaper Saga. When her eyes reached the first page, she immediately blacked out everything around her.

As time passed and day started turning to night, Ruby had lost herself in the words of each page as she followed the protagonists and their journeys. The story shifted and flowed as the character's developments were on point, the plot was incredible and, the conflict was simply perfect. Ruby was glad that she bought the box-set because she felt that she would not be able to stop at just the first book.

While she still had much of the first book's story left, she looked up to the sun and judged that it was about to turn dark in less than an hour. The sky was already turning orange. Ruby smiled at her estimate, the night, her night, was returning to her. Although much to her disappointment, Ruby had to close her book as it was too dark to read now and she had to get going. She had a long way home.

After gathering her belongings, and raising her hood back up, Ruby quietly left the park as she witnessed the street lamps now starting to turn on. She noticed the extreme lack of people out and about much to her liking. It was comfortable now that the numbers were lessened.

She had been walking for an hour through the streets and was finally nearing the edge of the city. Just as she was about to keep going, she stopped and noticed a store across the street on her right. It was a small shop, roughly a self-made business titled, _"From Dust Till Dawn"._

Ruby stared at the sign for a moment and remembered the little 'event' that happened in the forest this morning left her low on dust and in need for a resupply. But as Ruby stared at the store there was something necking her.

' _Probably just nothing.'_ Ruby thought with a shrug as she walked towards the small store.

When she entered, a little bell sounded off notifying her arrival. The store was indeed small but well kept. The walls were painted sage from the bottom and white near the top. On her left and right she spotted a variety of dust dispersal tubes along the walls ranging in a variety of different colors.

In the middle of the store she saw a large, glass, rectangular counter with brown, wooden outlines. Inside the counter housed many different colored crystals of all shapes and sizes. Standing behind the counter was a gentle looking elderly Asian man who was balding by the scalp yet still maintained long grey hair around his sides. He wore a grey collared t-shirt with light brown pants, and a maroon apron tied around him.

The back of the store had several small wooden aisles that held food, books and other inanimate objects for purchase. Ruby gave a short bow to the elder, showing him respect as he smiled and nodded to her.

"Hello young lady." The old man said in a gentle aging voice. "How may I help you this evening?"

Ruby went to her silver metallic pocket, rummaging through a few things before pulling out two small, black canisters with red rose symbols. "I would like to… resupply myself with two full loads of your finest red and, if possible, black dust please."

The elder nodded, slightly taken aback. It was rare for anyone to ask for black dust as it was very difficult to use, let alone control. He was also very surprised by how distant the girl sounded as well.

However, a customer was still a customer and he signaled her to follow him. He exited he counter and led Ruby to the far back of the store near the right corner. He presented Ruby with several dispersal tubes, including two that were filled with red and black dust.

"These are where we keep our finest of manufactured dust and as you can see, we have what you are looking for. However, the black dust is extremely limited and is a bit more expensive." He said while presenting the tubes. "Please feel free to take as much as you like and once you've finish you can see me in the front and we can weigh it to find the exact price range for each one."

Ruby nodded as she examined the tubes. "Thank you. I will also be acquiring the red and black crystals I saw in the front so… I will be sure to let you know which I choose."

The elder nodded and walked back to the front of the store leaving Ruby to tend to her business. She already attached her canisters to the red and black dust tubes watching the small, vertical meter started to glow red and black.

' _Since I want them both up to full it's going to take a few minutes for that to happen. A little music should past the time.'_

Ruby rummaged into her pocket and pulled out black headphones with red rose symbols on the cup of each ear piece with its wired string already attached to her scroll. She lowered her hood, put her head phones on, and immediately pulled it back up. She quietly browsed through her playlist until she found a song she felt in the mood for.

 _ **(Music Start: Breaking Benjamin; Sooner or Later)**_

 _ **I want a normal life,**_

 _ **Just like a newborn child.**_

 _ **I am a lover hater,**_

 _ **I am an instigator.**_

The little bell on top of the store's door rang indicating a new customer. The elder turned to the door and smiled. But his smile soon dropped as fear struck his heart.

Through his door, in came five male individuals. The one in the front was a tall man with slanted dark-green eyes, orange hair with long bangs covering his right eye. He had a black bowler hat with a red band on while wearing a lot of black eyeliner. He wore a red-collared white suit and a small gray scarf. He had black gloves with round sleeves, and black pants with black dress shoes. In his hand he held a long black cane while holding a large cigar in his mouth.

The other four were all dressed in matching attires. Each one was dressed in an all-black suit with a matching hat and shoes. Each of their eyes were covered by red sunglasses that matched their red ties.

The men walked in and went their separate ways as two of the leader's 'henchmen' walked to investigate the dispersal tubes. The last two remained behind the orange haired man on both his sides as they approached the counter.

The elder slowly backed away as the orange-haired leader crossed his arms and stared daggers at him. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a dust shop open this late?" The moment the man finished his sentence, a gun suddenly appeared in the hands of the henchman on the right. The weapon was so close to the old man that it was practically underneath his chin. The elder extended his hands into the air and retracted his head back a little as he shook with fear.

"P-please, just take my lien and leave!" The elder silently prayed for his life to be spared.

The henchmen's leader shook his head and shushed the old man as he smirked. "Calm down, we're not here for your money." The man then turned to his henchmen. "Grab the dust."

The men nodded and went to work. One pulled out a large black case and opened it to reveal ten canisters. Three of them each took two and started to extract the dust from the dispersal tubes. The last henchman stayed behind and pulled out another case, this time empty, and slid it towards the elder.

"Crystals." was the only thing he said.

The old man nodded and slowly started to place each crystal inside one by one. There was so much sorrow on his face as this store had belonged to his family for so long and it has never once been robbed.

Once one henchman finished draining one tube of its dust, he placed the filled canister inside its case while picking up another empty one and moved to the other side of the store. Just as he was about to insert it, his ears perked at the sound of rock music coming from the back of the store.

 _ **Sooner or later you're gonna hate it,**_

 _ **Go ahead and throw your life away.**_

 _ **Driving me under, leaving me out there,**_

 _ **Go ahead and throw your life away.**_

The henchman raised an eyebrow as he noticed a kid in a large, red hood. He can tell that it was a girl from her petite figure and smirked at the thought of an easy picking. He put the canister away and unsheathed a large curving blade from its case on his left waist.

"Alright kid put your hands where I can see them!" he demanded in a commanding voice.

He waited for her reaction but there was none. She still had her back to him.

Growing incredibly irritated, the man started walking up to her.

"Hey I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something?!" The henchman finally reached the girl and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. He twirled her around to reveal that she had also been reading a book.

When Ruby saw the man her first initial reaction was to strike his face for his interruption. She already noticed him holding a large blade and let curiosity get the best of her as she decided to play along. Another good advice her uncle had given her.

' _When your opponent underestimates you, use that to your advantage. Play the weak character and let their confidence get the best of them. Once their high off their own smug, go for the throat.'_

"Y-yes mister?" she asked with a tone of fear in her voice. The henchman smirked and leaned closer.

"I said put your hands in the air now!" he replied with a vain popping up his forehead. Ruby shivered slightly as she backed away. She quickly put her book away in her bag and laid it against the wall.

She looked behind him to see three others dressed like him with another man in orange hair leaning on the glass table listlessly looking at a crystal in his hand.

It was clear what was going on and she turned back to the man slowly walking towards her. "M-mister… are… are you robbing this store?" Ruby asked as she shivered harder.

"That's right kid!" The man replied while chuckling. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in closer. Ruby had tears in her eyes as she looked up towards the man.

"I don't think the boss would mind if I get a little 'bonus' from this mission." He said as he licked his lips.

Ruby looked visibly shocked as he leaned closer to her face. "S-sir… please wait… if you're going to do this… then… there's something you should know."

"Oh and what is it baby?" He asked with a grin.

Ruby's fear consumed face dropped as her usual emotionless expression returned.

" **I. Play. Rough**."

The next few seconds were a blur for the henchman as all he saw was a flash of red before feeling a sharp pain in his abdominals. His body flew back with great speed from a heavy impact and crashed into the wall just below the front window of the store.

The henchman's leader was busy examining a red crystal when he heard one of his grunts let out a sharp pain before flying past him and colliding with the wall. He lazily turned to another henchman who was in front of him and nodded him towards the direction where the henchman flew from.

The henchman nodded and rushed to the back of the store to find a girl standing there with her arms crossed and looking at him. The grunt raised his gun and pointed it at her head, demanding her to freeze.

Ruby looked at the new foe and rolled her eyes as she lunged towards him with blinding speed. She rushed and kicked the man hard in his forehead, sending him crashing out the window and into the street. Ruby cursed as she created property damage and decided to move this fight outside before doing anything else.

She immediately jumped out the window and landed a few feet into the street where her hand went to her lower back and pulled out a black and red mechanical device. She pressed a button on the side which transformed it into her large red and black scythe. She twirled the weapon around and slammed its pointed edge down into the road which penetrated the concrete easily. Ruby then heard her music still playing and quickly shut it off.

 _ **Go ahead and throw my life awa-**_

 _ **(Music End)**_

The henchmen inside all scattered towards the window and stared, mostly at the giant scythe that she carried. The henchmen's leader looked at her with narrowed eyes as she looked back at him with the same expression.

He raised his cigar up to his lips and took a puff of smoke before exhaling it with a sigh. "Okay…get her."

Without hesitation, the henchmen rushed out the door and towards the girl with their blades in hand. Ruby waited for the closest henchman to reach her and then jumped, as he swung his blade down, timing it perfectly and side kicked the man squarely in his right cheek. The impact literally knocked the henchman's hat and sunglasses off, sending him flying back through the window of the store.

When Ruby landed, she noticed the remaining two trying to flank her from the rear. She pulled the trigger, using the recoil to twirl her around sending the head of her weapon straight up into the chin of the closest henchmen. Ruby then slammed her scythe down on the last one who attempted to slice her.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the last one finally recover from her original blow and started firing his automatic rifle towards her. Using her speed and precision, Ruby dodged and moved in a square pattern to get around him. When she saw her opening, she slid through the road and launched the henchman up into the air with her following closely. Around mid-way in the air she fired her gun which sent her scythe into the back of the henchman where he slammed hard into the pavement in front of his leader.

When Ruby landed she cocked her gun again and stared at the orange haired man. He stared back at her and sighed as he pulled his cigar from his lips and looked down at the fallen grunt.

"Oh yea you were worth every cent, truly you were." He said sarcastically as he stared back at Ruby. "Well… Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He tossed his cigar on the ground and crushed it with his cane. "And as much as I would love still around." He raised his cane at Ruby and a target scope popped off the base of the cane and exposed a gun's muzzle. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

He fired a thick, colorful blast which came fast and only gave Ruby enough time to deflect it with the blade of her gun. The impact knocked her a few feet back as she slightly shook her head.

She saw that the man was gone and quickly looked around to fine him climbing up a ladder of a four story building.

' _Coward.'_ She mentally said as the store owner rushed out to see the damage.

"Elder you stay here and call for police officials. I will try and capture him."

The old man nodded frantically as Rub took off in pursuit of the criminal.

She jumped onto the side of the building and used her gun to accelerate her speed up the wall.

"That's far enough!" Ruby shouted as she landed on the roof.

The orange-haired man stopped and turned towards Ruby after her demand was shouted. He muttered the word _persistent_ as Ruby prepared herself for combat but didn't expect for a large dropship to rise from behind the building. It was VTOL airship codenamed "Bullhead" and it was hovering dangerously close to the roof sending powerful gusts of wind all over the place.

The wind was so strong that Ruby stared at the ship with squinted eyes. She spotted the orange haired man entering the ship as it was attempting to take off.

' _No you don't!'_

Ruby took off after him in pursuit but was already too late as the man was on board. He turned and smiled at Ruby as she continued running after him.

"End of the line red!" he shouted as he tossed the red crystal he had been holding back in the store.

The crystal dropped a few inches in front of Ruby as she glanced at it then to the criminal and went wide eyed. The man fired his cane at the crystal and once it hits, the explosion will no doubt kill her. She had no time to move and felt that her life was about to be over in an instant. She closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for the explosion to erupt. Once it did, everything became white.

When the explosion erupted, the orange-haired man cheered and laughed as he looked to see what remained of the girl. But to his surprise, and anger, it wasn't what he wanted to see.

When Ruby realized that she wasn't dead, she was shocked, and a bit relieved. She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a new comer standing in front of her with her hand extended out, shielding both herself and Ruby with a large, purple glyph.

It was a middle aged woman with very light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes were bright green and were covered by thin ovular glasses. Her outfit consisted of a white long-sleeve suit that exposes part of her chest and puffy ruffled sleeves. A black skirt with buttons running in a vertical line up the front of it and lighter black-brown stockings. She wore black boots with brown heels and wore a tattered cape that was purple inside and black on the outside, decorated by a row of diamond-shaped brown beads going horizontally across her cape. In her hands the woman held a crop whip that must have ignited the large purple glyph in front of herself and Ruby.

Ruby stared at the newcomer and realized by the power and look, that this was a huntress, and a damn good one. Her thoughts were cut short as she remembered what was happening and quickly focused back on the action taking place.

It was at this moment the huntress sent several purple beams towards the bullhead and successfully struck it from all angles. Ruby observed and was internally impressed by such power in one attack.

She watched as the ship rattled and rocked uncontrollably along with the orange haired man who was losing his balance in the back of the ship. The sight of it gave Ruby some amusement and slight humor as she saw his face growing red with anger.

Inside the ship, the man, shakily, made his way into the cockpit where he saw a long black haired woman with glowing yellow-orange eyes and dark red painted fingernails. She was wearing a dark-red of-the-shoulders v-neck mini-dress with yellow designs. The dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail in the back which ended just above her knees. Underneath the dress she wore black short shorts and brown high heels with ankle bracelets on each leg.

"Hey we got a huntress!" the man shouted. The woman instantly stood up and moved to the back of the ship.

The man rushed over and took over the pilot seat and started fidgeting with the control pad as it refused to cooperate.

Back on the roof, the huntress charged up another attack and sent it right above the airship where large dark clouds formed and rained large, sharp blue icicles down all over the roof of the ship.

The pelting was so fierce and continuous that one of the icicles actually broke through the window of the cockpit and almost sliced the man's head off if he had not ducked out of the way in time.

The huntress narrowed her eyes when she noticed a new foe in the back of the ship. It was a female but her face was unreadable due to the shadows of the ship.

The new foe went on the offensive and sent large flames straight towards the huntress and Ruby. The blast nearly collided if the huntress had not dodged backwards. Ruby herself dodged as well and continued to watch the battle taking place in front of her.

Using her crop again, the huntress countered as she used the shattered remains of the roof as ammunition and sent the debris flying towards the ship. The mysterious woman retaliated by blasting flames mid-way to destroy any of the debris before it reached the vehicle. The huntress saw this coming and reformed the debris again and sent it straight for the cockpit.

The man, who was still struggling to pilot the ship, watched as a large load of glyph enforced debris flew towards him. Letting out an annoyed grunt, he used his quick thinking to maneuver the ship diagonally down as the debris bounced off of the ship's metallic roof.

The huntress still continued to use the debris, ferociously hitting the ship, trying to knock it down. It was working well until the mystery woman started getting annoyed and unleashed a massive blast which destroyed the debris permanently.

Realizing that the ship was getting out of range, Ruby quickly joined the fray again and fired several shots at the woman but unfortunately, all were blocked. She retaliated with her final blast towards the two girls.

The blast hit underneath their feet which started to crack and rumble; it was clear the roof's flooring was weakening underneath them. Realizing the trouble, the huntress used her glyph to push Ruby and herself forward just as the roof behind them collapsed.

Ruby automatically stood up just in time to watch the plane turn and fly off. She fired a few more shots but failed as it flew out of her range and then out of site. They got away.

She sighed as she turned to the huntress that had appeared in the midst of her short battle with the orange haired criminal. The woman standing in front of her was a real life hunter; or a female hunter known as a huntress. A glint of admiration showed in Ruby's eyes.

"You're a huntress." She said.

The said huntress turned and nodded at the young girl as she eyed her up and down. "Yes, I am." She replied in an elegant, intellectual tone.

Ruby stared at her for a moment, taking in her image by memory, and felt satisfaction to seeing a real life hunter in action and much more to actually fight side by side with one.

She turned and was about to leave until the huntress stopped her. "And just where do you think you're going?"

Ruby stopped and turned with a raised an eyebrow. The huntress' tone sounded demanding and authoritative much to Ruby's dislike.

"I was planning to apologize to the store owner for not being able to stop all the men who attempted to rob him. After that… I was planning on going back to where I belong. It is rather late after all."

The huntress seemed taken aback by how emotionless the girl sounded, let alone how stoic she looked.

"I can understand the first part but as for the second, I'm afraid you are unable to do so as of yet. You are to come with me." She demanded and glared at the little goth girl.

Ruby turned fully around as she locked eyes with the veteran huntress. "For what particular reason must I come with you?" she asked quietly.

The huntress placed a hand on her hip, not daring to take her eyes off of the silver eyed girl. The huntress was a bit nerved when she couldn't see anything inside of the girl's eyes. All she could see was emptiness but kept it to herself.

"A girl your age shouldn't just be going about fighting dangerous criminals on the streets! You are to come with me for questioning nothing more!" She replied with a hint of frustration in her voice.

Realizing she wouldn't get anywhere with this as Ruby kept in place silently staring at her, she took in a deep breath. "We simply wish to know all the details of what happened tonight." She added in a softer tone.

Ruby thought about it for a moment and couldn't help but sigh again.

"I see the logic behind your point." She said. "Alright, I will come with you for questioning… but let me talk to the store owner first."

The huntress nodded and the two moved off of the roof and walked towards the store which now had several policemen on the scene. As Ruby crossed the street she noticed that the henchmen of the orange haired man were all huddled together and knocked out. She observed their bodies carefully and replayed the scene when fighting them in her head. She knew she didn't hurt them to the point of unconsciousness so to see them all huddled up and knocked out was strange to her.

' _What happened here when I was gone? Maybe-'_

"Something wrong?" The huntress asked as she crossed her arms underneath her bosom. Ruby snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head as she continued walking.

"It's nothing." She muttered and went into the store. The huntress glanced at the unconscious criminals and then back to Ruby before silently following close behind.

Inside, Ruby watched several policemen moving around the store. She then spotted the elder talking with a policeman who looked to be higher ranked than the others. She walked up as the policeman walked away and bowed very low to the elder who noticed her.

"I'm sorry store owner. I wasn't able to capture the leader of this group. I hope you can forgive me." She said quietly.

The elder smiled and shook his head.

"It's alright young one, the police managed to apprehend the other four vandals and I didn't lose much. I can't thank you enough for your courage. Oh that's right!" The old man pulled out Ruby's two canisters of dust that she had been collecting.

"Here is your dust, and before you say anything, it is free of charge. Also take these." he handed her two large red and black crystals. "You said you wanted crystals and you can consider this your reward for defending my shop."

He also handed Ruby her bag which contained her precious books. She inspected it thoroughly and was relieved to see no damage come to it. Ruby then looked at the gifts and bowed deeply again.

"Thank you elder. Please take care of yourself."

As Ruby was thanking the store owner, the huntress observed all of Ruby's actions carefully. ' _Interesting'_

After Ruby finished speaking with the store owner she went along with the huntress as promised who introduced herself as Glynda Goodwitch.

Ruby had heard of her name before but never knew what she was like in person. In honesty she didn't expect Goodwitch to be very uptight. Though her skills are respectable.

The huntress led her into a police building where Goodwitch showed an I.D. to the guards in front who promptly let them pass. They walked through small corridors and entered a small grey room that was set up with a single light overhead with a long, steel table underneath and one chair available. There was one window that was tinted black on one side of the room, allowing it to only be seen from the other side. In any sense it was like a classic interrogation room described in books or seen in movies.

Taking the obvious hint, Ruby went towards the lone chair across the table and sat quietly with a blank look on her face. Goodwitch started to pace back and forth with a look of displeasure on her face.

"I hope you realized that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly young lady. You put yourself and others in great dangers." She suddenly said causing Ruby to raise an eyebrow.

"What others?"

"Excuse me?" Goodwitch questioned as she stopped adjacent to Ruby.

"Define what others were placed in danger by my actions? From my perspective, the only ones who were in any sort of danger were myself and you. Yes, the store owner was already in danger but through my actions, the vandals focused their attention on me instead of him. Also, the streets were empty besides the lead criminal's henchmen and myself. And on the rooftop, the building itself was just nearing completion from its construction meaning there was no one but the leader and myself. That is until you came, but that's only because you joined the fray in which you placed yourself in danger by freewill. So I ask again, who else was placed in any sort of danger by my actions?"

Goodwitch sputtered for a moment, trying to think of an adequate response but to no avail. Her pride would have been hurt if she continued that topic any longer so she moved right along, ignoring Ruby's question.

"Don't get smart with me young lady! If it were up to me, you'd be sent home… with a pat on the back… and a slap on the wrist." The kind tone of Goodwitch started out with, turned harsher after her pause as she slapped her riding crop on the table. Though the weapon slapped down very close to Ruby's hand, she showed no reaction to it. Goodwitch seemed upset at the lack of recoil but said nothing as she continued speaking. "However… there is someone here that… would like to meet you."

As she moved out of the way from the doorway, there was an approaching silhouette of a man who gradually grew clearer from the light. His hair was a premature gray that was swept to the right. He wore a pair of frameless, circular spectacles hanging on his nose. His suit, a dark green color with a lighter colored scarf around his neck, was clean and spotless.

As he reached the table, he set down a plate of cookies, keeping a tight grip on the mug of coffee in his other hand. Normally, Ruby doesn't eat sweets, but her hunger got the best of her as she reached for one cookie and nibbled on it.

"Ruby Rose" the man started in a very smooth voice. "You… have silver eyes."

Ruby couldn't help but roll said eyes at the obvious statement.

"So, where did you learn to do this?" the man asked, nodding towards a screen that Goodwitch pulled out. It showed clips of Ruby's fight with the group of robbers.

Ruby looked at both of them then sighed.

"At first I was taught by my Uncle Qrow. He taught me the ways of scythemenship and then I learned more combat tactics at Signal Academy. However, I do not go there anymore. Since my leave, I trained on my own these recent years, honing my own skill sets to become a warrior."

The man nodded as he listened carefully. He noticed the lack of emotion Ruby showed but ignored it. "I had suspected Qrow, he is the only one I know who still lives with the ability to use such a weapon so fluidly. I am quite surprised, however, that he was willing to teach you- a young girl- how to use such a dangerous weapon. So tell me, Miss Rose, why is an adorable young girl such as yourself trying to become a warrior?"

Ruby stayed silent for a moment, slightly upset that she was still looked down upon because of her age.

' _If you only knew why, then you wouldn't be asking that question.'_

Ruby stared into the man's eyes and replied. "I want to be a huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?" the man asked skeptically.

"More like to protect and serve but yes. Like I said, I was originally studying at Signal academy until I left. Since then I wanted to find my own way of getting into the legendary school of Beacon academy." Ruby replied while she was in deep thought about something in her past.

The man noticed this and frowned. "Why did you leave Signal? If you want to apply to a place like Beacon, then you would need every advantage you could get to increase your portfolio for the entrance exams. The file that we have on you currently shows that you are still 16, one year away from officially meeting Beacon's requirement age to apply. So why did you leave school early? It could have greatly boosted your resume for-"

"I didn't choose to leave…." she quietly interrupted. "Although… it was for the best because… I despised that place." This caused both the man and Glynda to look at one another before looking back at Ruby. "Ever since I was young, I have been tormented by the people there. The ill-judgments that they gave me, the daily harsh treatments… it did not feel like a school… it was more like a prison. I had to look after myself as I did not trust anyone other than my Uncle Qrow, who was a teacher there. He was the only one around. The rest of my family traveled often which left me alone most of the time because of school. My uncle knew of my troubles and taught me how to defend myself. Then one day… I was attacked by several classmates. At that point I snapped and fought back, mercilessly. They screamed and begged me to stop… but I didn't. Not until my anger ran out. In the end, I left two of them severely injured. One of their careers as a hunter in training was over. Others were left with scars and cuts… when the school found out, I was the only one punished. They expelled me without trial. So I vowed to never go another school unless it was Beacon."

The man nodded as Glynda stayed silent, taking in everything she had just heard with some sorrow for the girl. The man was troubled by how unaffected Ruby looked by retelling a story that she went through.

"Why Beacon though?" The man asked. "You say you don't want to go to any except Beacon, why?"

Ruby opened her eyes and gave the man a hard look. "Because of a very personal reason." She said. "And because it would make someone happy to know that I went to Beacon…in her honor." Ruby muttered the last part to herself but the man heard it all.

He said nothing for a while as he stared at her as she did him. Finally, he leaned in closer to Ruby. "Do you know who I am?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Of course I do. You are Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon."

Ozpin smiled and nodded to her. "Hello."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ruby bowed as Ozpin crossed his arms.

"You wish to come to my school?"

Ruby nodded.

"It is one of the few things I want in this world." Ozpin frowned. He glanced at Glynda Goodwitch who stared at him as he turned back to Ruby. ' _This girl is certainly something interesting.'_ He thought

"Well… okay." He said with a smile.

Goodwitch's jaw dropped as she was about to object but kept quiet as she simply 'hmphed' in disbelief. She never questioned Ozpin's choices before so she wasn't starting now.

Ozpin extended his hand out to Ruby, who was in slight shock as she was still not sure if she heard him correctly.

His next words cleared up all her confusion. "Welcome to Beacon Academy, Miss Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened greatly, it was the most emotion she had showed throughout the conversation.

' _This is really happening.'_ she thought as she extended her hand out with slight hesitance and shook Ozpin's hand.

"Thank you sir…" Ruby replied in a quiet tone. "I promise you won't regret it."

From her facial expression, she had her blank look, even with the small smile on her face. But inside, Ruby was beaming and felt a spark of happiness ignite within her. A spark she had not felt in a long, long time.

' _This truly was an eventful day. Mother… I hope you will watch as I continue my journey.'_

 **And thus ends the first chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story has officially begun.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story is now upon us.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	5. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the third chapter of "Derelicts In Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Tristancat101: Special abilities will be placed in this story and as for Ruby having it now… well I'll say that it is going to be in this story that much is certain!**

 **To Inkly: Initiation will be very interesting and the original characters will appear just with a few surprises and changes that I hope the readers will like.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: I don't actually have an update schedule, currently I began spring break but I still have work and some school work they gave me. Once those are done, I'll work immediately on the next chapter.**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 2: The Journey's Beginning Voyage

It was early in the morning when the airship for Beacon arrived in the shipping docks and Ruby had been fairly impressed with just how wealthy Beacon truly was. Northern Vale's Skyport was the largest and most well used Skyport in all of Vale. It beat all other skylines except for the Shnee Haven Skyport located in Mistral. However what Mistral's Skyport lacked was a personal section exclusively for a hunter's academy. Unlike Vale.

Ruby looked around the room and couldn't help but admire the variety of expensive furniture filling one of Beacons private boarding rooms. Everything about the room screamed fancy in her eyes and although she wasn't one for such things, she liked how vintage the couches and tables were. The massive chandelier twinkled its white light all around which made the silver platinum walls gleam slightly.

A few hours ago, when the sun was barely rising, Ruby had arrived at the Skyport and found her designated docking port known as Section Delta. She found a spot by the corner window and waited for the Gate's doors to open. She quietly took a sip from the coffee they offered on the table as she held her beloved book in her other hand.

The chattering and laughter was already filling the room from a decent number of others, lounging, walking or, standing about minding their own business. Ruby was the first to arrive after leaving her home at the crack of dawn. Having no one to say good bye to on the day of departure due to no one being home, she left a note and left to begin her long walk back to Vale, this time without another Beowulf incident.

She began to reminiscent the events after her interrogation on that night a few days ago. Her talk with Professor Ozpin explained to her the fundamental steps for her to enter Beacon. He would already send an acceptance letter to her address after she had given him the necessary information. He also stated that she would still be taking an entrance exam in the city to estimate her levels of combat, intelligence, and strength for her classes. The exam took place two days after that night and when she had completed the test, the acceptance letter already arrived containing several items including her flight ticket for the first day of school.

After her arrival, things were quiet much to her approval, but as the hours went by more and more newly accepted students arrived which quickly filled the room. Majority of them already started conversing to which Ruby did not care as mingling wasn't her thing and she was far too lost in her book. She would leave the socializing to a certain blonde someone who was already good with that. She wouldn't acknowledge the other students either until there was a crash that got Ruby's attention. A male student had dropped his coffee on one of the couches seats and as he jumped up, he accidentally flipped over the coffee table in front of him. What bothered Ruby the most was how he simply shrugged and walked away.

She shook her head in disapproval as the boy went to loiter with some other people. She had always been a fan of vintage gothic décor, and aesthetics so it displeased her greatly to see someone treat such furniture with disrespect. Unfortunately, the boy wasn't alone as Ruby witnessed others sitting in unmannerly positions and creating small messes with their food and drinks. She rolled her eyes and went back to her book completely unaware that she wasn't the only one who disapproved of the actions of these people.

As five move minutes past Ruby heard the announcements turn on as a woman's voice spoke through the speaker.

" _Attention Vale Skyport Passengers, flights; A-3, B-1, C-5, D-2, and E-4 to Beacon Academy will be now boarding in Docking Sections: Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta, and Epsilon. Please make sure to take all personal belongings and make sure to keep your local Skyport clean. Thank you for using Vale City Skyport services."_

Ruby nodded to herself as she gulped down the rest of her, now cool, coffee and tossed the cup into the trashcan nearby. She grabbed her black and red book-bag and patted it down before tossing it over her shoulder. She didn't take much with as her suitcases were already picked up and shipped to Beacon yesterday. She already stood by the gate and watched as others were getting their things organized. Among the various people, there was a glance of a certain hairstyle that caught her attention to be vaguely familiar. Realizing how ridiculous it was for her to recognize someone, Ruby shrugged it off and turned about face as the door unexpectedly popped open.

Standing in the now open doorframe was a lean man dressed in a black suit with four larger men behind him dressed in standard security outfits.

"Your attention please!" he called out in a deep British accent to the crowd, "Please form a single line in front of me and have your flight tickets out! You can call me the ticket agent and I will personally check each and every one of your tickets! Should I find that your ticket is invalid or a fake you will be asked to leave the premises! Is that clear?"

All nodded. Ruby looked at the man with a raised eyebrow.

' _I guess it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Some would try and fake their way in.'_

With Ruby already first in line, she took out her ticket and held it firmly. The ticket agent gestured her forward to which she obeyed and handed it over. The man inspected it and then scanned it with a small device. It showed a green light from the screen and the man gestured Ruby in.

"Alright you're clear. Watch your step and welcome aboard."

Ruby nodded and walked into the large ship. The accommodation and facility were surprisingly simple, yet pleasant to Ruby. The entire room was a large viewing gallery with walls coated in emerald green and four rows of grounded lighting systems outlining the floor. Below the windows, and attached to the wall on each side, was a long cushioned emerald couch that stretched all along to the edges of the wall.

Ruby walked to a good spot by the corner all the way in the back next one of the large semicircular windows. She noticed a few more students entering after her as she sat down and quietly flipped through the pages of her book to do some more reading.

A good two minutes past and almost all of the students were on board. It was all going smoothly until a sudden shout was heard at the ships entrance. Ruby's curiosity had her looking from the corner of her eye.

"Let me pass!"

"Sorry son, I cannot allow that."

"'I'm telling you it's real!"

Ruby turned her full attention, as did others, and watched the conundrum. Although she was all the way in the back, Ruby's enhanced senses were extremely useful in times like these. She saw that the voice who was shouting belonged to the same boy who spilled coffee on the chair.

She can see that the boy's face was turning red as he glared at the ticket agent, standing his ground with crossed arms. There were trickles of sweat running down the boy's short black hair and Ruby noticed that his legs were shaking just a little.

"And I'm asking you if you think of me as a fool." The ticket agent responded with narrowed eyes. "Even without the scanner I can easily tell that this ticket is false. I've been doing this job for 13 years and I know a real Beacon ticket when I see one."

The boy gritted his teeth. "You must be getting old because it's not! How can you even tell if its fake?!"

The ticket agent sighed and shook his head. "Because I'm one of the few who actually designed the ticket."

The boy paled and said nothing else as he looked down at the ground with his hands balled up into fists.

"Security, please escort this young man out of here." The ticket agent said turning around. Two of the large security guards walked up to the boy and started gently pushing him away.

"Get your hands off me!" the boy hissed. "You will regret this!" he snarled to the ticket agent as he walked away. Fed up with the boy's resistance, the guards each grabbed an arm and started roughly dragging the boy away as he shouted and shook. "This isn't fair! Let me go you assholes! It isn't fair!"

And with that, the boy exited through the doors of D-2 and out of the boarding room.

The students all watched in silence then started whispering to each other after the event was over. Some were laughing, others didn't care, and a few were shaken up by the sudden actions they had just witnessed. The ticket agent sighed as he rubbed his temples and closed the ship's door. He turned and looked at the crowd of freshmen with crossed arms.

"Let that be a first lesson to all of you incoming freshmen." The man said in a bold tone. " **Never** try to cheat into Beacon." Without another word, he walked past the crowd, who cleared a path, and entered another door to inform the pilots to take off.

The students all remained quiet for a few more seconds until the sea of whispers soon flowed again. Before Ruby went back to her book, she caught sight of a blonde haired boy with a black sweater and blue pant staring at the door where the agent entered. He was paled with a fearful look in his blue eyes.

Ruby rolled her eyes as she brought her book up to her face and started reading again. She would never admit it but seeing the short black haired boy being dragged away brought some type of amusement to her day.

' _Karma works fast_.' A dark chuckle escaped Ruby as a very thin smile crept onto her face.

A minute later the ship started to rumble as the engines were powering up. A sudden announcement came from the ships speakers.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen this is your captain speaking. I welcome each and every one of you on my ship and am proud to carry the next generation of warriors to our beloved school. As we ascend into the sky, you all ascend into the next chapter of your lives. So again, Ladies and Gentleman, I welcome you all aboard my ship. Next stop, Beacon Academy!"_

A loud cheer erupted throughout the gallery. Students cheered as loud as they could; hugging, jumping, and high fiving each other in celebration as the ship began lift off. For Ruby, she allowed a full smile to emerge on her face. Her first and largest dream was about to become real, and years ahead of her expectations. She pulled her book down and looked outside the window behind her. She noticed four other airships slowly start to ascend, each with its own cargo full of students who looked to be cheering as well. Ruby then squinted as a bit of sunlight entered her eyes. Her smile still remained as she gazed into the wild blue sky with the sun shining high.

She then turned back around and dug through the metallic pouch on her belt. She immediately pulled out what looked to be a photo of her as a child, roughly five years of age, with a smiling woman dressing very similar to Ruby's outfit, only the woman wore white rather than red. In the picture the older woman was holding Ruby tightly in her arms as she and five-year-old Ruby smiled towards the camera that took the picture. There was a sudden overwhelming pain that crept into Ruby's heart before it vanished. She let her thumb trace over the woman's face as she laid her saddened eyes on her.

' _Is this the path you would have wanted me to walk mother?'_

The smile Ruby wore became a sad one as she remembered her mother with fond memories. She was completely unaware, however, that another person was also sitting down, staring at a photo of their own with their dark magenta eyes glimmering with a saddened expression.

" _I will do my best for you."_ They thought in unison.

It had been almost an hour since the ships departure and Ruby was currently staring out the window. The ship moved at a rather steady pace, not too fast and not too slow. There was no turbulence in the travel so walking or standing was comfortable.

She gazed out into the growing distant city of Vale as it started becoming nothing more than a silhouette. That city had offered Ruby so much that it stunned her. What started off as a simple day, granted her an opportunity to enter her desired school. Everything happened so fast that Ruby still couldn't believe that it was real, that something was actually working well for her.

' _Destiny and fate really do work in mysterious ways.'_ Ruby thought.

She looked down to see how high they were. The ship gained a high altitude within the last 30 minutes of voyage and continued on that same route for the rest of the flight.

No one, not even her family, knew that Ruby secretly enjoyed flying. It was a sort of unusual bliss to be up so high. It was like all her problems were left behind so she could soar through the air. It had always been a, very secretive, fantasy for her to one-day grow wings and sore through the air like an owl that can reach the full moon. Of course it was just a fantasy. Even she can have some couldn't she?

Ruby checked the time, located above the exiting door and saw that it would be five minutes till 8:30. The ship was expected to arrive before nine as the entrance ceremony for the new students was to begin at 9:30. After that, Ruby couldn't say.

She looked all around the gallery, watching the students mingle and converse with eagerness and excitement.

There were many conversations springing up all around Ruby. Some talked about the environment that Beacon would provide. Others wondered how strict and hard the rules and classes would be. There were a good number of boys and girls who wondered how "hot" some of the teachers would be, much to Ruby's disinterest. There were a few students who were eagerly ready to start training and, in their words, "kick major ass".

A lot of students, from what Ruby heard, believed it will be a walk in the park. ' _Fools'._ She called them. Beacon was a trial of hardships and it would be a mistake to go in with feebleness minds. That was what she believed.

Ruby remembered a story from her uncle Qrow about when he and Ruby's parents attended Beacon. There were 500 students in his class and only 50 graduated and officially became hunters. Thankfully her uncle had given her a variety of tips and advice for her journey.

Thinking about Qrow brought some comfort to Ruby. He was her mentor, her best friend, and even dared to say he was like a father figure to her. When she told him the news he was very proud of her. He even treated her to her favorite dish for dinner. Ruby felt safe with Qrow's guidance and she was glad to have him in her life. He told her he knew her father would be proud as well; once he returns from wherever he took off too… again.

Ruby shook her head in order to erase the thought of her father. She did love him dearly but ever since the tragedy that took place, their relationship has been rocky. Since then, he would always be out on missions for extended periods of time or attend to what he called 'business". The last time he and Ruby spent time together was when they walked through the forest to talk. And that was six months ago and it was very awkward.

The same could have been said for her older sister. Ever since she reached a certain age, her sister, Yang, was always out of the house either with her friends or doing odd jobs for clients. This had been going on ever since she developed her skills as a fighter. She never was one to be cooped up in one place for too long. She was the biggest social butterfly and a thrill seeker. The two were not as close as sisters would be claimed to be but Ruby never had any bad terms with Yang. However, Yang was just a bit too… Yang for her taste. The two were opposite and Yang would always try to get Ruby to socialize in ways she never wanted. The same could be said for when Yang would try to do something Ruby liked and it never worked well. It was always awkward, for Ruby at least, to live the life of Yang Xiao Long.

' _And those ridiculous puns'._ Ruby groaned slightly as she remembered them.

Currently, the last Ruby had heard of Yang, she was in the process of a job searching for someone her client desperately wanted to find. The job was going to take a long time, and the reward was supposedly too rich to ignore. She had been on that job for over two months and from what Ruby figured she wasn't any closer to finding her.

' _Perhaps it is for the best.'_ Ruby sighed.

She remembers her sister always talking about attending Beacon. And it just so happened that she was planning to attend this year. However, if her job was going to take longer then Yang wouldn't be able to attend Beacon for the semester which would have been better for Ruby.

' _Things would have gotten too awkward if we went to school together. And the teasing she would give me.'_ Ruby mentally groaned. ' _Even if it would have been somewhat nice to know someone at a brand new school, it's still probably for the best. Oh well, in order to move on from the past, you must make a new future for yourself. At least I will have a whole semester before having to see her again. That should give me enough time to come up with some ways to deal with her antics … or as she calls it her "Yangtics"._

Ruby rolled her eyes as she continued to stare out the window.

"Hey guys, you see that girl over there, the one with the red hood. Doesn't she look a little too young to be here?"

Ruby looked through the corner of her eye to see who said that. It was a boy, slightly tall and muscular with spiked up brown hair. He was standing next to three other people, a boy and two girls, assuming his friends, as he pointed at her. All eyes immediately turned to Ruby as she rolled her eyes again and continued to look out the window.

The only other male, a lean toned figure with short read hair, shrugged as he glanced at her. "Maybe she's just really short and looks young. She certainly doesn't show much development around the chest area if you catch my drift." he nudged his elbow into his friend as both males laughed with perverted grins on their faces.

One of the two females in the group, a tan skinned girl with long black hair, scoffed at the boy's perverted sense of humor. However, she did, secretly, find it funny when her eyes drifted down to Ruby's chest and couldn't help but feel a great sense of pride as she puffed out her own perfectly rounded D cups. "Well if that's the case then maybe she's a little girl who got lost on her way to her daycare." She said, making the two boys laughed even harder.

The second, and last girl, had the face of an angel, flawless skin and beautiful fluffy, long, blond hair, gazed at Ruby and made a disgusted face towards her wardrobe. She admitted that some of her accessories were "kind of" cute but ultimately, she only had one thought in her mind.

' _This girl wears like WAY too much black and red, like come on, a little lighter colors won't kill you!'_

The girl looked down at her own attire and admired it. She always wore the latest trends in all of Remnant's current fashion brands and she thought she was looking good. These would have cost at least an arm and leg for anyone to buy. However not for her "daddy" who always wanted to make his precious daughter happy. The girl looked up at her friends and quickly thought of something that made her lips perk up.

"Like come on guys don't be like that. Obviously she's like upset by her looks. I mean why do you think she wears all that black? She looks like one of those depressed emo kids so like let's leave her be." she said while restraining a laugh.

"Yeah you're right, let's not give her another reason to write some sad poetry and beg for attention." One of the boys said while the others laughed.

As the laughter grew louder, Ruby couldn't help but look at the small group. She stared at them with a raised eyebrow and thought of them being unoriginal for she had heard it all before. Many had already looked down on her for being short and younger than others. Many would make fun of her taste in fashion while others indeed made comments about her "petite" body figure.

The words would have hurt Ruby if she even cared. But she didn't. There was no point in worrying about making one's self impress others. Her uncle Qrow had taught her better than to let words affect her, especially in battle. Ruby simply looked back out the window and thought of them as nothing more than mere annoyances.

People who judge on looks would never earn respect from her and while she didn't really care, she did grow tired of people belittling before actually knowing her. Then, an idea hit her like a ton of bricks which caused her to smirk and turn to the group whose laughter still rang loudly through her ears.

' _What the hell, I guess it won't hurt if I have a little "fun" with them'._ She thought as she slowly walked towards the group.

The small group's laughter soon died down as they noticed Ruby staring and walking towards them. They lost their smiles and stayed quiet when they saw Ruby smirking and didn't know whether to move or say something.

"Like can we help you?!" the blonde girl finally asked with a tone full of confidence. The others nodded and waited for Ruby to reply. She didn't and still kept walking towards them.

When they looked into her silver eyes, all they could see was a deep black abyss. Almost as if they were staring into the blackest void of a black hole. The very image sent shivers down their spine and possibly into their souls. They stood frozen and watched with anticipation. The atmosphere felt unbelievably tense and the air tasted hot like it had just come out of the oven. Suddenly, Ruby stopped two feet in front of the group and slowly lowered her head letting her bangs and hood fall down, blocking the view of her upper face.

" **I am proud to wear black."** Ruby started with a tone so low that it sounded almost… demonic. **"My life is back on track. I have discovered the inner me, for this is my true identity. Enveloped in a dark embrace, where I have found my eternal place. It seems the outsiders of society, have stolen my dark soul in its entirety. As I stare ever so carefully, the darkness stares right back at me. My world was shredded, torn apart, as so was my very heart. I have lost feeling and became so numb, blissfully ignorant of what is to come. The smile on my face is forced by me, so sorry to tell you that I want to be free. And well you see for me to be me, I will need a sacrifice for the eternity. So come with me and you shall see, that leaving your body will give you glee. It will only be a little pain you'd barely feel a thing; but then again… a scythe will give you more than just a sting."**

Ruby raised her head just a little and was satisfied with the four terrified looks. Two of them were pale white like a ghost while another was panting heavily. From the last one, there was a leaking sound coming from the boy's pants as his legs started to shake tremendously.

' _Now to bring it all home.'_ Ruby closed her eyes and raised her head so the group can see her full face. When she opened them up, gasps could be heard from a few of the members. Ruby's pupils were gone. Both replaced with full pitch black as she stared at them with a sickly grin. **"Now then…"** Ruby continued in her demonic voice. **"With my "depressing" poem now complete, I ask but one thing and I will not repeat."** Ruby reached behind her and out came her large red scythe as she let it rest on her right shoulder **"Who's first?"**

At first there was silence.

The four students looked at the scythe with bulging eyes like a fish and mouths gaping wide open forming perfect O's. They could see their reflection off the scythe's curving, silver blade. They looked back down at Ruby as the eldritch girl continued to stare at them with that grin of hers. Never in any of their lives have they ever seen such… madness.

In Ruby's mind she hadn't had this much fun in a long time. She knew this would probably traumatize the students and maybe even scar one or two of them but was it really her fault? She was just educating them after all. Maybe next time they will learn never to judge a book by its cover; because you never know what kind of tale lies behind the first page.

' _Three… two… one.'_

High pitched screams filled the gallery as the four students who mocked Ruby bolted away from her. Students nearby got out of the way while a few unlucky ones were pushed and shoved by. Ruby smirked in satisfaction as the group of kids took off too another part of the gallery, shouting and shoving more people out of their way.

A few students who were not part of the quarrel simply stared at the scene and at Ruby while slowly backing away from her so they wouldn't get involved.

Ruby noticed all of the terrified looks that she was getting and simply shrugged it off as she retracted her scythe back and closed her eyes. She opened them a few seconds later and revealed her usual silver pupils returning to normal. Ruby nodded to herself and was about to turn and walk back to her corner until she looked down at the carpet and noticed a thin yellow trail of liquid left behind in the spot where one of the boys was standing and actually laughed at the sight. She couldn't wait to tell her uncle Qrow, he would be so proud. Using black dust to manipulate her voice and eyes were one of the greatest discoveries that she had ever made and she enjoyed using it to intimidate her foes. Psychological warfare was certainly fun.

As Ruby walked back to her corner she heard all kinds of whispers. Mostly the words "freak", "psycho", and "weirdo" flew around her ears. She shrugged as the words didn't faze how good justice was served and hoped that those four would learn to never mock another soul again.

When she reached her corner, the crowd of people migrated more to the front which left the back area mostly empty. Ruby actually liked it; it meant more room for her. When she finally made it to her corner, her instincts kicked hesitation Ruby turned and looked all around her for any signs of a threat. She always trusted her instincts as it saved her multiple times in the past. She looked around thoroughly and noticed nothing dangerous or unusual until something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. There was someone looking at her, a male.

Ruby quickly examined his face and was slightly taken back by who she was looking at. On the adjacent side of the gallery, literally in the other corner of the ship was a boy whom she had met a few days ago in the elevator of the bookstore. His hair was still in its usually messy bed head style with that magenta dyed bang and the familiar long pony tail. His magenta colored eyes were still deep and distant. His facial expression was in the same bland look as it was when she met him. Ruby noticed that his attire was still the same all black outfit he wore, and it still suited him in many ways. It made him look like a Gothic Asian warrior. The black duffle that he carried was now gone and now it all made sense to her.

' _He was traveling to Vale to enroll into Beacon.'_ And now, she too was enrolled and seeing him again. _'Destiny and fate really do work in mysterious ways.'_ She thought.

Ruby noticed that the boy had been staring at her with a very faint amused look on his face. He stood up straight and gracefully bowed to her with one arm across his chest and the other down at his side.

' _This man is really respectful. I am glad for that_.' Ruby thought.

The boy rose up and Ruby nodded and bowed to him as well, only it was much shorter than the boy's. Ruby's father, being of Asian descent himself, had taught her a lot about Asian culture and mannerism so of course it came as second nature to bow back in respect.

The boy nodded and turned to his right and looked like he was sighing. Ruby couldn't tell what he was looking at but it was enough to cause him to stand up again. He looked back at Ruby and gave her a very small smile and a thumbs up before walking away where he was now among the crowds of people moving about.

Ruby raised an eyebrow wondering why he gave her a thumbs up rather than a wave. Then it hit her. He had an amused look on his face before and the thumbs up made it all clear.

' _He must have seen the whole thing.'_ She thought to herself. He had witnessed her little "fun" with those students.

She was both surprised and confused. When most people would see what Ruby just did any normal reaction would be to stay away from her. However, instead he smiled. To Ruby, he didn't look like the type to enjoy seeing people scared out of their minds. If he truly had been watching from the start, then he would know why she did it. And if he had good hearing or could read lips like she did then she could only think of one answer.

' _Maybe… maybe we aren't so different after all.'_ She thought then shook her head immediately. She barely knew the boy and she already had assumptions about him facing the troubles that she faced. Whether she was wrong or right it didn't matter now as an announcement came on.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now arriving towards our destination and will be landing in five minutes. Please remember to gather your things and please watch your step as you exit the airship. I would like to thank you, again, for riding airship D-2 and I welcome all of you to Beacon Academy!"_

A roar of excited cheers exclaimed. The crowds of people all rushed the door and eagerly waited for their landing. Ruby herself stayed back and decided it would be easier to be the last one off the ship. For good reason too.

It was time. She was finally about to walk on the steps of Beacon and although her face was blank again, she was ready to walk out into a new chapter of her life with confidence and excitement.

' _Please watch over me mother. And watch as I make the same first steps as you did long ago.'_

With Ruby fully concentrated on her thoughts, she was completely unaware of an anonymous pair of eyes who watched her the entire time during her little scare tactic to the group who was bothering her.

' _She's definitely interesting. This will be fun'_ thought the person as they put their scroll away which captured everything that happened on video.

 **And thus ends the second chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	6. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the third chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S. I apologize for updating so late, I had been busy with mid-terms and with my papers that were due for classes and adding in my job – it was indeed stressful. But now I have some free time to continue writing and I will make up lost time.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Inkly: All will be explained in due time with Jaune's story. However, I can say that it will slightly differ from the main series.**

 **To True Guardian Angel: Romance has not crossed my mind but who knows where I will go with this story.**

 **To Dreadnaught: I wouldn't say Ruby is stronger nor weaker than her canon self but she does have changes that distinct the two.**

 **To Lorii-Chan: Romance has not crossed my mind as I mentioned before however I will keep an open mind to anything on this story.**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 3: Hello Again

The voyage's end was now drawing near. Ruby quickly checked the time above the exit to see that it was five minutes till 8:50. She estimated at least three minutes before their exact time of arrival and looked out the window to see the landing zone just a short distance away. It's long, circular, black marbled pavement was just one of several that scattered alongside the open platforms of Beacon's soil. She could see the large teal colored "D" on the landing zone and knew that it was her stop. The ship's landing gear were already activating as it softly vibrated the floor of the gallery creating a faint humming noise.

Ruby turned from the window towards the other students still occupying the other half of the room. The little excitement that she committed earlier had already been long forgotten by the start of the announcements; and the incoming freshmen were once again back to their usual excited selves as they chatted about.

With things now calming down, Ruby took the opportunity to closely examine the other students. Most of them preoccupied themselves by looking out the other windows and gazing at the sights below them. Others had been watching the float screens showing news of the recent Faunus civil rights movement that had been interrupted by the White Fang. The anchorwoman, reporting the news looked robotic when she was presenting the article and barely blinked while looking at the camera.

" _This Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted several protest within the last two weeks and the authorities are doing everything in their power to stop this organization. They ask that the public need not worry as the situation is under control."_

Ruby rolled her eyes at that statement. _'Yeah, they were very in control when they didn't protect the protesters.'_

"Fucking pathetic."

Ruby's attention turned when she heard that, followed by a loud scoff by a girl watching the news with crossed arms, shaking her head. "They're just a bunch of animals who have to ruin everyone's day." She muttered with a hint of malice in her voice. Saying nothing more, the girl walked away without batting an eye at the float screen any further.

Ruby stared at her for a few seconds and shook her head with a small frown. A few years ago, she briefly learned about the White Fang from her Uncle. The only thing he truly ever said was that they took a left, instead of a right, and followed a dark path that lead to uncertainty and left it at that. For once in her life, her Uncles statements were not enough for Ruby and with her curiosity towards the Faunus already at large, she eventually went out of her way to understand what he meant. Through books, that were not racist and held actual facts, she learned of the origins of the White Fang and how their history drastically changed. Though their actions changed from passive to aggressive behavior and tactics, she couldn't help but feel a modicum of sympathy for them. Like her, they were subjugated for being different, only in their case, it was harsher and led them to retaliate in anger after the atrocious treatments they constantly received.

Being reminded of retaliation brought memories of that fateful day from Signal Academy into Ruby's mind. The day she was expelled. As weird, and possibly terrible as it was, she could relate to White Fang's reasons as the situation at that time wasn't too different from their own. She let her own anger and rage get the best of her after so much torment and harassment. She could still see the blood that she accidentally spilled from the boys that bullied her for years on her hands. Even if what she did was wrong, she felt truly happy for finally putting it to an end. But it sickened her to know that she secretly enjoyed punishing those who deserve it. Just as she had fun punishing those who made fun of her just a few minutes ago. She narrowed her eyes at the ground. Where it not for her Uncle Qrow's guidance, Ruby felt unsure of where her own path would have led after that dark day. Her mind always wondered, would she make a left or a right; unknowing of what's at the end of each path and how it would affect her.

Ruby left the sensitive topic at that and continued to observe the people around her. Reliving old, dark memories was not a good way to start off a new beginning. She once again glanced at a few strangers near her. There was no one that really stood out to her, nor was she was expecting one to. All of them just appeared to be regular people who hoped to be hunters for whatever their reasons were. She took a look at some of the weapons that were visibly noticeable among a few of them and it was indeed something she enjoyed seeing. It was as her uncle Qrow once said about meeting other warriors:

' _Sometimes you don't have to talk to a person to understand them. Simply look at their weapon and it will tell you all that you need to know. Remember Ruby, a hunter's weapon is an extension of themselves. It is a part of them and it is their life.'_

Ruby studied each of the different student's weapons with a keen eye. Her love of weapons was one of her greatest strengths and yet another one of her weaknesses. She noticed one student with an axe that appeared to have a shotgun barrel out of the handle, a simple yet effective weapon describing a close quarter specialist. She was willing to bet that this student and her sister, Yang, would get along just fine if they had met. Another student had a small tube-like shape at their side that was obviously a collapsible staff or something of a similar manner. It spoke of this person as more defensive yet capable of offensively countering. She turned to another student wearing thick leather gloves with a sword strapped to their waist. The sword was detailed with small designs capable of merging with dust making it an enchanted elemental weapon. The gloves the student wore were made of material that Ruby recognized to be resistant to heat which meant that the weapon must be a fire sword. There were several others with weaponry Ruby had to admire, some more complex than others.

Having enough people watching, Ruby turned back to the window and saw how distant the city of Vale was now. It was now just a few small silhouetted dots and blocks. With her eyes turned in the direction of the fading city, she heard other students let out gasps with a few exclaiming loudly.

"Look at that!"

"Oh my god!"

"It's beautiful!"

Ruby naturally turned in the direction of the commotion and could see the cliff much clearer with a sea of forest moving more inland in the adjacent windows. She stood up and slowly walked up to the opposite side where she witnessed the massive blue lake at the bottom of the cliff with small terraces covering the steep incline. She watched, with silent amazement, as the few, thin waterfalls descended down into the lake creating small white mists that sparkled with the sunlight. Her eyes trailed upwards towards the forests that dotted the top of the cliff. Silently, Ruby felt more at east knowing that there would be places for her to escape every once and a while despite the clearings and open valleys separating each individual section.

Despite the beautiful scenery, most of the students were captivated by the now full view of Beacon Academy. Ruby felt a rush surge through her as she was now staring at the academy with wide eyes. It looked just like the pictures she viewed growing up. Huge buildings with several large towers spaced throughout, with the famous clock tower being the largest and center among all the others. It was easy to see the sizes of the school buildings despite the slight mist that was shrouding the surroundings making the school seem as if s it was in its own world.

Just as Ruby and the students were fully focused on the school, the news board and all the windows shut off and turned black. It was immediately replaced with a holographic projection of a familiar face that Ruby instantly recognized.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon Academy. My name is Glynda Goodwitch." The holographic professor bowed to the students then crossed her hands over her skirt. "You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace. And as future hunters of Remnant, it your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to become the protectors of Remnant and all her people. This academy will become your home, and we shall be your caretakers. So I again, welcome you to Beacon Academy."

Ruby nodded her head to Goodwitch's words but couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips. In all honesty she had enough of all the welcomes and instead began to think about her life at Beacon. She allowed a real smile to spread across her face again. It was still such a rare occurrence that even Yang gave up on trying take a picture of her smiling. Though the thoughts on her dream coming true were pleasant, she couldn't help but think of her mother again. The smile she wore now became a sad one, and she slowly looked up to see Goodwitch's hologram fading away as the windows opened up again. When Ruby looked outside, they were already beginning their descent as the cheers roared again. Ruby closed her eyes as she sighed once more and prepared herself for their incoming landing.

She, however, didn't notice the black haired boy, whom she remembered from the elevator, glancing at her again but with a small frown on his face before silently looking away.

As the ship finally landed, Ruby waited for the entire wave of students to leave the ship first before following after confirming herself to be the last one exiting. As ridiculous as it was, she always liked the term, _'save the best for last'_. Besides that, she also didn't want to be among those who were pushing and shoving each other to get outside, like that blonde boy had been doing. After she exited the ship she turned to it and nodded, silently thanking the pilots for the lift. Ruby turned and walked down the pavement and, to her left, she stopped to see the blonde boy huddled over a trash can vomiting intensively. She stared at him for a few seconds before shrugging and walking away. _'Seems like some people aren't able to stand airship travel all that well. I wonder why… the ship was traveling at a rather steady pace with no rocking or turbulence. I do not see how anything that could have tricked the mind into having motion sickness… perhaps he is… afraid of heights? What am I thinking? I shouldn't waste valuable brain cells on this topic anymore. It isn't my problem but curse my overly curious mind.'_

Her over thinking was sometimes another weakness.

It didn't take long for Ruby to join up with the other students that were slowly filing down the long concrete walkway, towards the school's entrance. She could already see a few girls hugging and squealing loudly which made Ruby cringe. A few men were hugging and high fiving each other while laughing and moving around wildly. _'Friends from previous schools reuniting I suppose.'_

Ruby walked past the crowds of students all forming around the walkway. All five airships delivered their cargo of students on time and thus more than five hundred students all came pouring out.

' _Maybe being last wasn't such a good idea.'_ Ruby mentally said as she tried her best to dodge and move past the crowd of students blocking some of her path. She nearly got ran over by a small group of students who were laughing and talking loudly, totally oblivious to what's around them. Ruby looked at the group and recognized a few of them to be her sister's friends. She knew that if Yang were next to her right now, she would already be racing to be with them, thus leaving her alone. Which would have been fine for Ruby. It meant more peace and quiet, which was something she desperately wanted to find soon.

When she finally reached the intersection of the walkway, Ruby tried to see which path would allow her to get to a secluded area with the most trees to hide herself in until orientation. As she pondered this, she failed to notice a boy sprinting full speed past her where he accidentally shoved Ruby forward, without stopping to apologize. The force of the impact caused Ruby to lose her balance as she was about to fall onto a cart carrying a number of white suitcases. Quickly thinking, Ruby used the strength of her legs to launch herself into the air where she front-flipped over the cart and landed safely. When she took a step back to try and regain her balance after her shaky landing, as luck would have it, she bumped right into a person behind her.

When they collided, Ruby was sent reeling, and tripped over the pile of suitcases she tried so hard to avoid while the person she bumped into, a girl dressed in all white, fell onto her own backside. Shaking her head slightly, Ruby stood up, and looked to see what happened from her fall. She saw several of the suitcases strewn about, one of which had been opened during her fall, with several small bottles spilling out and scattered. She turned to apologize to the girl, the bags presumably belonged to, only to have said girl right in her face and screeching in a high pitched voice.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow and cleared her voice as she got a good look at the girl. She was wearing a pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly colored thigh-length dress with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero was red and the sleeves were blue as they get closer to her wrists. The back of the bolero displayed, what Ruby recognized from the small glimpse that she got, the Schnee Crest which bears a resemblance to a snowflake. The now identified Schnee girl had and an apple-shaped necklace along with a pair of thin, rectangular earrings and a pair of white, heeled wedge boots that went up her mid-calf. The Schnee girl had snow white hair, done in an off-set ponytail that swayed to the sides as she shook her head in frustration. Her pale skinned face looked red at the moment as she was fuming.

"I… deeply apologize, this was-"

"Apologize? Do you think apologizing would make up for this?! Do you have any idea of the catastrophic damage you could have caused?! Are you an idiot?!" The girl in white was now shaking with rage.

Ruby took a step back to stop feeling the girl's breath on her face. "Damage? First of all, what is in those suitcases that could cause 'catastrophic' damage and why would you bring it to school? No less in the general public."

The girl in white stumbled her words a bit as she stared at Ruby. The expression on her face was so cold and distant that when the girl stared into those silver eyes, she couldn't see anything but emptiness. However, the momentary stumble was gone as the girl firmly placed her fists on her sides.

"It's Dust! You know what Dust is right? Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry. You know, Fire, Water, Lightning, Energy? Dust?"

Ruby was now visibly getting annoyed which was rare. She did not appreciate the way this girl was speaking with her snarky attitude, the obvious arrogance, the insults along with the disdain dripping from every word, making for a very annoying way of speaking.

"Of course I know about Dust. There's no one in this world that's above the age of four that doesn't know."

The Schnee girl crossed her arms and tilted her head a little to the left. "Well, if you know about it, then why did you not watch where you were going!? Do you need glasses or something and what's a little girl like you doing here anyways? Aren't you a little young to be at Beacon? Because you know this is a school to fight monsters right? We are not here to play games!"

That last comment did not sit well with Ruby. Although she didn't look terribly angry, inside her blood was boiling as she did not appreciate the fact that this girl was stomping on her achievements, or insulting her person based on her age alone. Without hesitation or warning, Ruby got right into the girl's face causing her to slightly jump.

"Listen here girl because I am only going to say it once. First, how was I supposed to know that you brought multiple cases of Dust to a school? Do you think I would invade personal privacy to see what you have in your case when I don't care about it whatsoever? Second, what reason could you possibly have to bring a lot of the most powerful energy source in our world to a school? You're practically causing more risk in having a large abundance parked here in the middle of the open. Three, the reason I'm here, is because Professor Ozpin, personally, invited me here. Now I do not care whether you believe me or not as I am merely answering your questions. And four, yes, I am younger than you little Miss. Albino Princess. However, who are you judge my being here? You don't even know me so you have no right to judge me." Ruby was now glaring into the girl's icy blue eyes.

"It's heiress actually." A voice spoke up, calmly interrupting the two.

Ruby's ears perked at the sound of the voice and when she turned to see who it belonged to, she was a bit surprised to see not one, but two familiar faces.

"She's right. And instead of calling her Albino, I think you would be better off calling her Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust company, one of, if not, the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." Said another voice.

The two girls looked at the two newcomers. At least newcomers for the girl known as Weiss but familiar faces for Ruby. It was the girl with long black hair and the Faunus boy with spiked up hair that Ruby had met in the entrance of the bookstore a few days ago. Her curiosity of them here would have to wait as she noted Weiss gaining a smug look on her face.

"Finally, some recognition!" a snide smile spread across her face as she turned to Ruby. Ruby studied her options carefully in her mind. She heard of a Weiss Schnee and the Schnee dust company as she researched them a while back. And the things she discovered were far too interesting and useful ammunition for right now.

"The same company that is infamous for its questionable business partners?" Ruby asked with some internal enjoyment.

"As well as the controversial labor forces." The black haired girl added.

"And the shady illegal Dust mining grounds that are created in secrecy." Said the Faunus boy as he waved a bottle of dust that presumably escaped the case.

Weiss was stunned at the accusations that all three made before her face twisted into a grimace. "How dare…The nerve of… I'll have... UGH!"

With that articulate saying, Weiss grabbed the bottle from the boy's hand and stormed off, stomping towards the school as two butlers started packing the cases and took them away. Ruby realized that with the whole conundrum she was in, a lot of students were now gone. She checked the time as it read 9:05. She still had twenty-five minutes till orientation so she didn't need to worry. Ruby then stopped thinking about the time and turned towards the two arrivals, and gave them a small bow.

"Thank you both for your aid. Although I could have handled it, I am very grateful."

Both the boy and girl nodded to Ruby as she rose up.

"Believe me I saw." The Faunus boy said smirking. "You can definitely hold your own."

The girl nodded in agreement. "Those who can stand up to those of higher power certainly have my respect."

Ruby nodded with a small smile. "I find it surreal to see you two again. Especially here at Beacon."

"The same could be said for you, especially with you being younger than us. You must have incredible talent to be able to skip ahead of your grade." The Faunus boy said.

Ruby looked away. She was still not used to people complimenting her. "I wouldn't say… I have talent… just determination."

The girl nodded at the response. "What is your name?"

Ruby turned back, feeling a bit insecure about revealing her name. It was something she barely mentioned to strangers but the fact that she already met these two before seemed to be a good exception. "My name is Ruby Rose and… it is a pleasure to formally meet you." She bowed again. "What are your names?" she asked slightly hesitant.

"Blake Belladonna." The girl said as she bowed.

"I'm Adam Taurus." The Faunus boy nodded his head to Ruby. "Unfortunately, we cannot stay long as we have to get going now." The black head girl nodded in agreement. "Until next time, we will be seeing you."

Ruby mentally said their names over in her heads so she wouldn't forget it and nodded to the two.

Blake and Adam nodded back and began to walk away. Ruby noticed Blake pulling a book out of her back pocket and reading it as she walked.

' _I wonder what kind of book she picked up from the book store.'_ Ruby mentally said as her curiosity rose. Giving a slight shrug, she let the thought drop and started to walk the other way with Blake and Adam to her back and Weiss's distance image to her right.

With some free time on her hands, Ruby began to explore her new school grounds before she had to report to the entrance hall for the opening ceremony. She walked along the small stone path, passing a small pond on her right with a few trees to her left. Slowing her steps, she turned towards the trees, and continued to walk at a leisurely pace through the small woodland path. When she spotted a location facing the pond, she walked over and was about to sit down and read her book until she stopped midway.

By the tree she spotted, Ruby noticed someone already sitting there while gazing at the pond. Before she turned away, her curiosity perked up as she had a faint familiarity with the person's hair. She went behind the tree carefully and quietly stopped when she saw his face. It was the long haired boy that she met at the book store, and had briefly seen on the airship. He was sitting with his legs crossed and looked to be in deep thought with a noticeable small frown. Ruby looked into the boy's magenta eyes and could see pain and emptiness.

' _I wonder what caused him this pain I see.'_ Ruby studied him for a few seconds and decided it would be rude to disrupt his tranquility and proceeded to walk away until she saw his head turning in her direction.

Both their eyes immediately met and as the two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before the boy gave Ruby a small genuine smile.

"Greetings." He said in the familiar deep, smooth voice.

Ruby stood still for a second then bowed her head. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry for bothering you. I thought this area was empty and… wanted to enjoy the peace it offered."

The boy bowed as well with the smile never leaving his face. "It's alright, you did not cause me any discomfort."

Ruby nodded and returned a very small smile as well. "And you are correct," The boy continued. "This place is quite calming. I discovered it by luck when trying to find a quiet place for myself. I'm sorry; introductions have not been made yet. My name is Lie Ren and would you care to join me?"

Ruby stayed silent for a moment as she thought about it. She had already seen him twice and only spoke to him once. She didn't know how to reply as she had never been asked to any activity with others, other than her family, before. However, after deeply thinking about it, she nodded and proceeded to sit down next to him.

"This area is indeed too good to pass up. My name is Ruby Rose." She said with her faintest of smiles and turned to him with a curious look on her face. "And… aren't you the one who kissed my hand in the book store?"

 **And thus the third chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	7. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the fourth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Littlest1: Thank you for enjoying my work it really means a lot. As for a color name well… the prologue trailers already gave away what colors will be represented and as for the pairings… well if I told you, you were right or not, it would spoil the surprise!**

 **To Tusbasa0129: I don't know if you meant romantic pairings or team pairings haha. But stay tune and soon the team pairings will be revealed but I would love to see what the readers think.**

 **To Ladygoddess8: Thank you for your descriptive analysis and compliments on my story. Yes I did want to represent this version of Ruby as a bolder person that belonged and the development of her character will certainly show it as will the other three as well. And you are right in what I noticed in the canon RWBY team. This new team will certainly be different than the main team and as for that name you showed me, well maybe it will or won't be. I know I am a tease. What I can say is that this team will not just be about Ruby as it will have diverse times with other characters as well. As I said in the description: "All similar yet each unique".**

 **To Inkly: Thank you for your compliments buddy. I did want to show Ruby and the others in new light and that's exactly what I am going to do instead of beating around the bush.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story.**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 4: Nightly Unison

Ruby leaned further back into the tree behind her, allowing her entire body to be consumed underneath the shade. The wind gently blew as the sun started to shine brighter around the grass and trees near the small pond. Ruby turned to Ren, after adjusting her position, and waited for his response. There were no words to be heard from his voice until after he gave her a small smile along with a quick nod.

"I do remember that. It was a few days ago inside the elevator of Remnant's Finest Literature."

Ruby nodded in conformation.

"My apologies if that made you feel uncomfortable." Ren continued with yet another smile, this one more apologetic. "It is the way we apologize where I come from. I am sorry for any disrespect." His tone was full of sincerity.

Ruby continued to stare at Ren. She can hear how sincere his tone was.

"You did nothing wrong." She said, turning to view the gentle waves of the pond. "And it wasn't uncomfortable for me. In fact, after your departure I… actually had a theory as to why you did that. And I was right." Ruby felt slightly embarrassed to admitting her curiosity. Ren didn't seem to boast about it either so she continued on. "Most women would have thought that to be a sign of flirtation. But I do not believe you to be the type of man who freely flirts with any girl."

She squinted her eyes a little to adjust to the sun's light reflecting off the water. Ren nodded to everything the red hooded girl said and actually sighed before letting out a soft chuckle to which Ruby turned with a raised eyebrow.

' _Why is he amused by it?'_ Ruby thought. _'Is he teasing me?'_

"It would not be the first time one would accuse me of negative deeds." Ren quietly said with a very small frown. He gently laid his hand on the grass and felt the rough bristles brush against his palm and fingers. "My culture isn't well known and I have yet to fully understand the social behaviors of urban living. However, I do appreciate how rational your thinking was before assuming anything." Ren smiled to Ruby to which she responded with a quick smile before looking away.

' _We aren't so different after all.'_ Ruby thought with a frown. Neither of them were any good in the normalcy of urban socialization.

"Also if I may ask," Ren said, earning Ruby's attention again. "Do you always observe people?"

Ruby resisted the urge to curl up in a ball as the blush on her face was very noticeable.

"I just… have a way with noticing." She muttered. "I'm not a creepy watcher like most people assume." The last part was barely auditable but Ren was still able to read her lips that were barely exposed. He frowned and nodded to her, acting as he did not hear her last part. _'It seems we are not so different.'_

The topic soon dropped after that.

After a short time had passed, both Ruby and Ren sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the peace and quiet their environment brought them. Ruby, currently, had her eyes closed as she felt the wind gently swaying her hair back and forth. She felt at peace with her surroundings and imagined herself flying across the night sky underneath full moon.

Ren, sitting cross legged, was in deep meditation, with his breathing slow and deep. His mind was clear of all things as his senses heightened with his focus. He could sense the flowing water of the pond, the various birds flying overhead, and most noticeably, Ruby who was leaning back on the tree with her eyes closed. Neither felt uncomfortable nor awkward from the silence. In an odd way, both naturally shared the space and enjoyed it together.

However, the comfortable silence of peace had come to an end as Ruby slowly opened her eyes and checked the time on her scroll to see that it was now 9:20. Orientation was almost upon them.

Sighing she turned to Ren, who was just opening his eyes as well, and nodded to him as their eyes met. Knowing what was to come, he nodded back and rose while gazing at the pond. Ruby raised her hood back over her head as Ren turned and offered her his hand. She glanced at the hand for a second before taking it and being immediately pulled up.

"Do you wish to attend the orientation together?" Ren asked when Ruby was on her feet. She stood still and pondered the thought.

' _I've never been to an orientation with someone before. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad since there isn't much to do in one.'_

"Our companionship hasn't been negative so far." Said Ruby. "I see no reason why we couldn't."

Ren nodded and stepped aside for Ruby to take the lead, to which she did, and walked with her side by side.

The two moved at a steady pace, both not exactly looking forward to being surrounded by people, and enjoyed their comfortable silence. Both individually admired certain areas around them with the architecture being one of the most beautiful things either one had ever scene.

With Ruby leading them back, she retraced her steps easily and had successfully led them back into the courtyard where she grimaced as it reminded her of Weiss. Ignoring the recent memories, Ruby turned to the direction where she saw Weiss heading towards and moved with Ren still at her side. As the duo could see the entrance hall a little distance ahead of them, they could see a few hunters in training already running inside.

When they got closer, Ruby could now hear the loud chattering and witnessed the large amount of students inside. More than five hundred people all individually stood wherever they pleased and it caused Ruby to mentally groan. It wasn't sitting well with Ren either as he was currently examining the large mass of hunters in training in awe and with slight discomfort.

He had never once been in a room with so many of his own age before, nor did he choose to, so it was a new experience for him and he was not liking it. All around were hundreds of people, all aspiring to be the same thing he wanted to be and it reminded him of what the honorable elder, who raised him, mentioned before his departure to Vale.

' _There were roughly five hundred students in my parent's class when they attended Beacon. And by the end, only fifty had graduated. I hope to the goddess that I do my best.'_

While Ren was still in awe, Ruby looked around in hopes of finding Ren and herself a good place to stand. So far her search proved rather difficult. Many areas she preferred were already taken by several groups of people. However, even among the hordes of excited teens, Ruby was able to spot Blake and Adam entering through the other side of the hall where they found a spot near the corner. It would have been a smart idea to stand next to them in order to avoid others strangers, but the two were already being surrounded by other students who entered behind them.

Ruby sighed and kept looking around. She would talk to them another time and perhaps introduce Ren. Her uncle always said introductions were important.

While searching, Ruby gazed into the sea of teens all forming several different groups interacting with one another. It was still hard to believe that she returned to a school, even earlier than she expected. She would be lying is she said she wasn't a little nervous. She had gone years without showing too much emotion and she did not want change that anytime soon. She could only guess how she would do in a school where everyone was older than her, taller than her, and already formed relationships before her.

There was faint scream to Ruby's left that made her turn in curiosity. The source of the scream was none other than Weiss standing at the front of the gathering, near the stage, which didn't surprise Ruby at all. Seeing as how formal and strict her posture and personality was. She also noticed two other people with her: the blonde boy that she vaguely recognized from his intensive vomiting off the plane, and a girl with red hair in bronze armor, standing next to Weiss. The redhead looked vaguely familiar to Ruby, almost as if she had seen her somewhere before but it was hard to tell with her back turned.

She could see the white haired heiress boiling red, with her arms crossed tightly and her entire body facing to the blonde boy, shouting something Ruby couldn't hear too well from the loud chatter around her. It was obvious that the boy was intimidated by Weiss' forceful attitude. He was shaking and sweating a bit with his hands in front of him defensively. The redhead seemed to play the mediator as she got in between the blonde boy and Weiss while gently holding the heiress' shoulder.

' _I wish you the best of luck in trying to calm that woman down.'_ Ruby thought as she rolled her eyes.

Wanting nothing more to do with Weiss, she then looked to the right to see a group of guys roughhousing with each other and another group swarming around two identically twin girls. One wearing all red while the other wore all white.

Ruby took a moment to admire both of their Romantic and Victorian style fashion as it held a beautiful combination towards the gothic. However, she paid them no mind as both had very noticeable displeasing looks on their faces and were quick to shove all the drooling men away from them. Ruby would have felt the same way if she was ever swarmed with people.

Getting off topic, Ruby continued her search feeling slightly frustrated with how difficult finding a place was until she felt Ren tap her shoulder. She turned back and saw that he was pointing to a good spot on the far right hand side of the corner. Ruby felt relieved but also a bit annoyed with how blind she was to a noticeable positon. Nodding, Ruby took the lead and the two started walking past the groups of students in their way.

As they walked, some students moved without looking at them, other glanced and stepped aside with a few hesitations. There were also a few who evem jumped out of the way from seeing a girl in all black with a hood over her eyes, and a boy wearing all black with an emotionless expression.

It was nothing new to Ruby but she had hoped she did not make Ren feel uncomfortable by all the rude attention they were receiving. As they walked, Ruby noticed Ren was ignoring the stares just as she was and felt relieved that she did not cause him trouble. Ruby also noticed some girls in a group, they were passing, giggling and waving to Ren where he paid them no mind. She shook her head with amusement as the girls looked glum from rejection. Some even looked angered by being ignored. She glanced back to Ren to see that he was actually in deep thought now and completely oblivious to everything around him.

' _What is he thinking?'_ She wondered.

' _There are far too many people around me. This is getting uncomfortable. Alright Lie, remember what that book on social behavior taught you. Eyes front, look at no one, move without a word, and mind your own business.'_

' _It's probably nothing serious.'_ Ruby thought and left the topic at that.

When the duo arrived to their spot, both, internally, let out a sigh of relief. A few people near their spot already moved away from them out of fear which gave more room for Ruby and Ren. Regaining their solitude, both loitered on the wall internally please with their own personal space. But before either one could get comfortable, their ears were suddenly ringing from a wave of massive excitement coming from the students, mostly from the girls, which erupted throughout the auditorium.

"IT'S HIM!"

"PROFESSOR OZPIN!"

"HE'S SO HANDSOME!"

"NOTICE ME PROFESSOR!"

"MARRY ME!"

"PUNISH ME!"

"TEACH ME NOT TO BE BAD!"

Ruby gazed in shock. All around her were jumping and screaming girls, with even a few boys, flailing excitedly. Ren could only spring up a look of confusion from all the insanity.

' _Why are these girls freaking out over Ozpin? Is it because of his legendary reputation? Or is this what my uncle described to me as 'fangirling'? Well whatever it is it's very annoying. Damn it my ears!'_ Ruby rubbed her ears softly in hopes of soothing the ringing.

Just as Ruby and Ren were soothing their ears, a magnified voice began to speak through the auditorium as the cheering shortly stopped with girls shushing each other or staring at the stage with bright smiles.

"Ahem… I'll keep this brief."

Ruby, along with Ren and everyone else in the auditorium, turned their attention to the front to see Professor Ozpin standing in front of a microphone in the middle of the stage. It had been a while since Ruby had seen the headmaster and not much has changed. To his right, Ruby spotted Ozpin's right hand woman Professor Glynda Goodwitch. The professor had actually been standing at attention with the highest of focus as her eyes glanced over the masses of students.

This caused Ruby to sigh as it seemed the professor hasn't changed much as well. Still as stiff as a bored even in a simple orientation. She noticed that Goodwitch had a hard look on her face; eyebrows narrowed, eyes glaring, and what appeared to be a frown on her face. She was staring at all the students as if they were fresh meat.

' _This woman is something else.'_ Ruby thought and noticed Ozpin fix his spectacles and moved a little closer into the microphone.

"You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people who cannot protect themselves. However, I look amongst you now and, except for a very select few, all I see is wasted potential and energy in need of purpose and direction."

Ruby raised an eyebrow, as did Ren. A few students looked offended, other confused, and the rest still gazing at the headmaster with longing eyes.

"You assume that the knowledge we provide shall free you of this. But your time at this school will prove to you that knowledge can only do so much and carry you so far. The knowledge you will receive will not pave your paths, it will only open several to follow. Choose your path wisely, for there is no restarting. Take note of this as it is up to you to take the first step. Welcome to Beacon Academy."

With his short speech now over, Ozpin stepped to the side, allowing Professor Goodwitch to take his place in front of the microphone. She cleared her throat and briefly gazed around the room with eagle like eyes.

"Tonight", she began, "You shall gather and bed in the ballroom by 9:00 pm. Dinner will be available by 7:00 p.m. in the dining hall. Tomorrow, your initiation will truly begin at 9:00 am. This is the moment where we truly decide if you are worthy. Be ready and good luck. You are dismissed."

With that said and done, the students all started to disperse in multiple directions towards all available exits.

Goodwitch stayed in front of the mic a little longer as she watched the students move. Then without a sound she turned and walked towards Ozpin where she was now at his side once more. The two moved towards the back of the stage where they began to open the double doors from which they entered from.

Before actually going through however, Ozpin stopped and slowly turned and looked directly where Ruby was standing. This caught Ruby off guard for a second as the headmaster did not even turn his head when he was talking. She raised an eyebrow at him and locked onto his eyes. For some reason, they looked so distance that it confused Ruby.

The headmaster then nodded to her to which she returned with a brief bow. After that Ruby noticed the headmaster lean closer to Professor Goodwitch and whispered something in her ear. Ruby couldn't read his lips as they were blocked off but she could see Goodwitch nodding as they stepped through the doors letting them close slowly behind them.

Before Ruby could make anything sense of what that was about, Ren got her attention. "Ruby, I have to prepare my things for tonight."

Ruby nodded. "I understand. Take care then Ren." She said and bowed.

Ren bowed back and then quickly, along with the masses of students, exited the auditorium leaving Ruby alone.

Several minutes past and almost all of the students had left the auditorium. When she felt it was time to leave, Ruby quietly left the way she came as she pondered what Ozpin had said. She walked outside with no general direction in mind all the while thoughts of Ozpin's speech still roamed within her head.

' _What did he mean by, 'all but a select few'? And why did his voice sound so… hollow? Almost as if he wasn't even there. More importantly what did he whisper into Professor Goodwitch's ear? The man is indeed mysterious and I feel thinking about this would only lead to nowhere.'_

Ruby stopped her deep thinking for a moment to see where she was. In surprise, she found herself, once again, back at the same spot by the small pond where she had met Ren before the orientation.

' _What are the odds.'_ Ruby thought and after a moment's decision, she was already sitting down and continued to enjoy the peace that this spot had. However, it wasn't the same. She could hear a few people a short distance down the pathway. There were some cheering and noises, probably students excited about tomorrow. Despite the slight loudness her spot was still mostly secluded.

Settling in for the next few hours, Ruby decided to pull out the book she kept to pick up where she left off in the airship. She also rummaged around in her belts pocket to find her mp3 player. Carefully, she untangled the headphones and placed them on before raising her hood back over her head. Now that she was completely blocked off from her surroundings, she was at peace.

There were far too many distractions that prevented her from reading over the past few days. But for now there will be none. With nothing in between her and her book, Ruby calmly searched for a song she preferred with some steady melody and read to her hearts content as the hours flew by with the sun rising and setting.

 _ **(Music Start: Katethegreat19: Come Little Children)**_

 _ **Come little Children,**_

 _ **I'll take you away.**_

 _ **Into a land of enchantment,**_

 _ **Come little children,**_

 _ **The time's come to play,**_

 _ **Here in my garden of shadows.**_

She was already lost within her book as each page shifted and flowed perfectly well. She was already midway into her book series and believed that she would finish it within a day if undisturbed.

Ruby was both relieved and glad to have brought her books with her. Not only did they bring her entertainment but comfort away from reality. To her, books were a gateway to escape in the imagination that hasn't been tarnished by the growing media that enforces itself into the lives of many.

Not only that, but Ruby owed a great deal of debt to literature. Many times has it saved her life in the past. It gave her various opportunities to expand her knowledge in life where she grew more from what she was before. Even now, literature has allowed her to enter her dream school earlier than expected. All because she was in the right place at the right time when she journeyed into the city for her books.

There was no way of telling how things may have changed if she hadn't remained in Vale; to the store owner, to the thugs, and to herself especially.

Ruby slowly shut her book and gently traced her fingers over the words on the cover. Although she still had much of the story left, the area had now darkened. Judging by the angle of the sun, it was nearing dinner time and Ruby felt slightly famished. Silently she rose up, and was hit with a pleasant wave of cool air. Patting her buttocks to wipe off any grass, she cuddled her book to her chest and slowly started to move.

' _If only they allowed me to sleep outside. It would certainly make things feels more at home.'_ Ruby thought as she reached the stone path back to the campus.

It was at that moment that Ruby came to an abrupt halt. A very bad thought crossed her mind.

' _I hate sleepovers… and strangers.'_

She thought and uttered a loud and heavy sigh as she continued walking, shutting off her mp3.

 _ **(Music End)**_

It had been an hour and a half since Ruby dined. The dining room was ridiculously large with multiple, dazzling chandeliers hanging above each row of long wooden tables. The stone like walls and gothic aesthetics reminded Ruby of the dining hall from "Harry Potterer and the Dust Crystal.'

She arrived a little later than the rest of the students and was pleased with how much space she had away from those who were still eating or chatting about. With most of the freshmen now gone, Ruby enjoyed her peaceful thinking. The meals Beacon offered varied from all different kinds for all types of people.

Being a simple eater, Ruby had grabbed a plate of chicken curry with hot chocolate and enjoyed it to her hearts content while reading a few more chapters of her book. The food was certainly five stars with everything looking to belong exclusively for the rich and famous.

' _Only the finest for Beacon Academy'_ Ruby thought as she walked through one of the several hallways in search of her assigned locker.

After her meal, Ruby had retrieved her black backpack and was on her way to leave her things and to prepare for slumber. Every architecture in Beacon was very eye catching to Ruby with every design and detail revealed to their fullest. Even the hallways were pleasant with a few sets of large, square windows revealing the clear night sky. Another satisfaction was the hallway being long and wide with plenty of room making Ruby feel much more at ease. Although she knew things would change when the day comes and hundreds of students would be walking through for classes.

She ignored the topic for tomorrow and pulled out the small notepaper that her assigned locker number was written down, number 1225. She scanned the locker numbers one by one and realized that she was near and moved a little further up before finally reaching it.

It wasn't all that special at first glance, in fact the gray coffin shaped locker looked just as mundane as the others.

' _I'll have to find some spray paint later.'_

Ruby entered the combination and when she heard the small click she popped it open, revealing nothing but a long empty space.

' _I wonder if they would get mad at me, like Signal did, if I spray painted the inside black too?'_

With a shrug, Ruby started opening her bag up and pulled out her pajamas and sleeping bag. Everything else was fit insider her locker and all that was left was her beloved Crescent Rose. As much as it displeased her in having to leave her weapon behind, she had to abide by the rules. She would survive one night without her weapon but she didn't have to like it.

' _Do not cry my sweetheart. I shall return.'_

Crescent Rose was always like a nonexistent child to Ruby. It was the first thing she had ever had that she could call her own and as her Uncle Qrow had always said, _'A weapon is a warrior's partner for life.'_

With everything put away, Ruby slowly closed the locker and walked to the nearest restrooms she passed. Upon closer inspection. she quickly realized that the restrooms were unisex. It was clear that unisex played a huge role in Beacon. From both genders sleeping together in the ballroom, to unisex bathrooms, it was clear there was reason behind it. A reason that Ruby had a creative theory on.

' _Hunters don't always live a full life. I guess it isn't wrong for them to encourage hunters in training to experiment with 'sexual content' before spending the rest of our lives in battle. Not that it matters to me.'_

Dropping the thought, Ruby entered the restroom and quickly changed into a set of black pants and black tank top that had a design of a red rose near her belly. She then folded her combat attire, including her cape, neatly into a small stack.

She nodded to herself and then moved to the sink where she began brushing her teeth and washing her face. With everything now clean, Ruby returned to her locker, opened it, placed her combat attire inside, closed it, and set off to the ballroom.

When she entered, she was met by a large numbers of students either standing, laying, or talking to one another in all areas of the room. With a deep breath, Ruby slowly started to move in search of a place to set down her sleeping bag while trying to keep a low profile. Being two years younger than everyone in her class would indeed cause some commotion so it was for the best.

Her situation was almost a cliché from multiple books that she read on protagonists in her position and there were always two possible outcomes. Either being hammered with idolizing attention or given harsh bullying. And she wanted neither. She hated attention overall no matter if it was good or bad; and instead she followed her Uncle's advice in the matter.

' _Attention comes in all shapes and sizes. Both good and bad. You will never become a deadly hunter if you are always in the light. The shadows are what prevents the publicity from holding you back. Know this Ruby, by holding kin to the night and to the shadows, your skills will truly show, not to the eyes of public, but to yourself and to your enemies. That's who you want attention from.'_

Ruby appreciated how wise her uncle was. His guidance had made her stronger that she ever could alone when she was younger. She could recount, before her uncle's teachings, Signal being a hellhole where most had bullied her senseless. Even though her first taste of power consumed her enough to sin, her uncle was never mad.

When her expulsion caused her to bring shame to her family name, her uncle was still never mad. When she had runaway in the past, her uncle had found her and was still never mad. All that her uncle ever said when she used to cause trouble was _'now that that's out of your system, take note of it and learn how to not let it happen again.'_

Inspecting her surroundings for a moment, Ruby really took in the rest of the ballroom with the crystal chandeliers, well designed pillars, expensive Victorian furniture, and marbled staircases. The room was a definitive example of elegance and she wondered how it would look in an actual formal event. Despite the beauty of the room, Ruby couldn't help but gaze upon the sea of sleeping bags the students evenly spaced throughout the ground. In the very moment there more than 500 freshmen all gathered for one night before the worse hopefuls were weeded out tomorrow.

Even with the ballroom having two floors, many areas were already too crowded or taken. What annoyed Ruby the most were areas that were being misused by ignorant students that wouldn't move. She rolled her eyes and shifted her sight towards a good position right by the corner wall next to the window. It was a stroke of luck and she hurried to claim it.

With a sigh of relief, Ruby made it and kneeled down unfolding her sleeping bag next to the window. With her sleeping bag set, she made herself comfortable and leaned on the glass as she settled in. She pulled out her book and proceeded to enjoy a good few chapters of reading before turning in for the night.

Within a few minutes she was almost finished reading through a chapter when a voice suddenly spoke.

"What is it about?"

Off guard, Ruby quickly looked up and saw Ren standing before her while cradling a black sleeping bag under one arm and holding a book in the other. She noticed that he wasn't wearing the attire she saw him in this morning; but instead wearing a long sleeved black shirt and dark green pajama pants.

Ruby closed her book and gave him a brief nod. "I'm sorry Ren. I did not see you." she said.

Ren simply shrugged. "It alright but you did not answer my previous question."

Ruby was confused until she noted Ren staring at her book.

"You were asking about my book?"

He nodded.

Ruby looked down at the cover and then back at him.

"It's… about a group of people chosen by the grim reaper to serve and aid him. They scour the globe on a quest to destroy the black hearted creatures that plague their world."

Ren said nothing as he nodded, taking everything he heard to memory. "You enjoy reading?" he finally asked.

Ruby looked back down at her book and nodded. "More than you know. It is my favorite past time."

"As is mine." Ren said and slowly leaned down. "May I?" he asked.

Ruby nodded and watched as Ren quietly unfolded his sleeping bag and straightened it out next to Ruby's. The corner had a good amount of space that wasn't occupied and Ruby did not mind having Ren near her. This was already proven back in the spot where they met.

"You asked about mine, can I ask about yours." Ruby said and pointed to Ren's book.

Ren nodded and turned his book so Ruby could see the front cover.

"The Cryptic Adventures of Faunus Detective Sherlock Wolfenburg." Ruby muttered.

Ren nodded with a small smile and handed her the book to which Ruby took without hesitation. "Yes, it is one of my favorite gothic detective series. Gothic literature is right up my alley."

Ruby admired the cover and how strong the spine was. She respected Ren even further for taking such great care of the thick black book.

"I am a fan of Sherlock Wolfenburg as well. This is the rare collector's addition signed by the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doy, am I right?"

Ren nodded.

"Only a thousand copies have been printed of this famous book. And the price is extremely expensive. How did you get this?" she asked.

Ren smiled a little once more. "I acquired it as a birthday gift." Ruby raised an eyebrow as Ren further explained. "It was from an honorable elder of my village. She had a close companion who knew the author and was able to receive the book at a good price.

Ruby nodded in understanding. "Amazing. She must have known how strong your passion for reading was.

Ren nodded. "She did. I owe her so much and I only hope I can repay her someday."

Ruby noticed from the corner of her eye that Ren had a barely visible sad smile. Knowing it wasn't any of her business to ask she quickly changed the topic.

"Isn't it a shame." Ruby said earning Ren's attention. "This book series was greatly famous before the writer announced himself to the world. Now it is looked down upon because the author happens to be a Faunus."

Ren sighed and nodded. "It is indeed unfortunate. They idolized the work of literature but soon turn against it because of racism towards the author."

Ruby frowned and agreed. "In that sense, they were not even true fans to begin with. One should not be hated upon appearance. It simply isn't right."

Before Ren could reply, another voice interrupted.

"You two seem to be having a nice conversation."

Ruby and Ren both turned in the direction where the voice came from and were met with two faces that Ruby instantly recognized. Standing before them were Blake and Adam each holding their sleeping bags and other items in their arms while dressed in their sleep attire.

Adam wore a long sleeved red shirt with a pair of black pajama shorts and ankle socks. Ruby realized that she was able to see Adam's crimson colored eyes without the blockage of his sunglasses for the first time since they had met.

Blake was wearing a formal purple nightgown and a traditional black kimono that went down to her thighs. She still wore the bow on her head and Ruby noticed a simple brown book cradled in Blake's arms.

"Adam, Blake." Ruby acknowledged the two with a nod. The two nodded back and Ruby raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that you found us among… all of them." Ruby nodded over to the students away from them all talking and laughing loudly.

Adam shrugged and nodded over to Blake. "Well… Blake here just happened to notice you once we arrived. She also couldn't help her curiosity when she saw those books you two had."

Blake said nothing to retort and simply looked away while rolling her eyes.

Ruby found Adam's teasing to be amusing. As did Ren.

"You enjoy books as well?" Ren asked.

Blake turned back and nodded. "Greatly." She said gently.

"Blake happens to be a very big bookworm. As am I. However, I equally enjoy manga as well."

He raised his arm slightly to reveal a little thin manga book in his hand. Ruby inspected the manga and was intrigued by it.

"I suppose… you two would like to join us?"

Adam and Blake looked at each other and then back to Ruby.

"If you insist." Said Adam.

Ruby rolled her eyes as the two newcomers laid out their sleeping bags. Blake placed hers below Ren's as Adam did the same under Ruby's. Once things were all settled, the four arranged themselves in a small circle sitting next to each other.

"I believe introductions are in order." Ren said and turned to Blake and Adam. "My name is Lie Ren. But please, call me Ren." He bowed respectfully and gave a small smile.

Blake smiled a little and bowed as well. "Blake Belladonna. Pleasure to meet you."

Adam nodded and extended his hand out. "I am Adam Taurus. Nice to meet you."

Ren nodded and shook Adams hand firmly.

He then turned to Ruby. "I suppose you all know each other?"

Ruby shrugged as she glanced at Adam and Blake.

"I suppose in some regard, yes. I met Adam and Blake in Vale a few days ago in Remnant's Finest Literature." Ren raised an eyebrow to which Ruby noted and continued. "In actuality Ren, I met them a few minutes after I bumped into you. I was on my way out when I accidentally bumped into Blake.

Ren nodded in understanding. "Ironic. What are the chances of you meeting all of us under the same method?"

Ruby shook her head as Adam and Blake both looked amused.

"It did have its drawback when Little Red bumped into Weiss Schnee." Adam said as he smirked a little.

Ren glanced at Adam with a corked eyebrow. "Weiss Schnee?'

"Do not trouble yourself with knowing her Ren." Ruby said as she looked at him. "That woman is indeed… something not to be reminded of."

Ren did not fully understand what she meant. But still he nodded. "I will take your word for it."

"So what is your book about?" Ruby asked turning towards Blake and Adam.

Blake looked down at her book and turned it around for the others to see.

"It is called 'The Journey of Crimson'. It is about a man with two souls, each fighting over control of his body."

"Sounds paranormal." Ren commented.

"It is." Blake replied. "This is the first book of the series and I picked it up at the book store after I met you Ruby. It was also after we met you that Adam picked up his Manga."

"Remnant's Finest Literature always had the best selection of books and Manga." Said Adam.

Ren nodded and looked at the little book with curious eyes. "What is your Manga about Adam?"

Adam smirked a bit and held his little book up. "It's called Lolita Coffin. Basically it's a little girl who is a vampire and carries a large coffin on her back. Inside has all the weapons she needs to destroy crazed vampires that threaten to expose her kinds existence."

"Interesting." Ruby muttered.

Ren nodded. "Very interesting."

"It has an actual book form as well." Blake commented. "Both the Manga and the book series are great. I recommend one or the other."

For almost an hour, the four were heavily involved with their nightly discussions. Various topics were mentioned and covered, not just of books. Many answers were given. A great number of likes and dislikes were shared all of which were either similar or different. They had been talking for a while until the time came for all the students to slumber.

Each wished the others a pleasant slumber as the lights went dark and for the first time in Ruby's life, she did not feel too unease by others sleeping next to her.

As Ruby laid in her sleeping bag, she gave one last look into the night sky and stared at the full moon that emerged behind some clouds. Many thoughts raced through her mind. Destiny and fate had always played with her events. Some good and others bad. For now, they seemed to be on her side. They had allowed her to enter her dream school, the school where her own mother enrolled.

There was no doubt about it. Like her mother, there would be a great deal of trials that she will face. Many obstacles that will make her question herself and her life. No more were the days of wandering the forest alone. Now, in its place, academics and steps to take for her future would be her every day event. Things certainly changed dramatically now and she couldn't help but think that the moon seemed to be shining a bit brighter than the previous night.

As Ruby's eyes started to fall heavy and her drift into slumber was inevitable, she only had one thought in her mind.

' _Watch me Mother.'_

 **And thus the fourth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	8. Chapter 5

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the fifth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". Thank you all for letting me reach 11,000 views! I cannot believe so many people have actually read it. My goodness I can't even fathom. Thank you guys so much for all your support.**

 **Pl** **ease be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Patient13, for becoming the 100** **th** **person to favorite this story. And a special thanks to Thatguytotheleft for becoming the 150** **th** **person to follow this story.**

 **P.S.: Also I wanted to mention that I may be posting my work every eight to nine days.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Inquisitek: Thank you for reading. Now pairings are not my priority at the moment, and even thought Red Lotus sounds interesting, I will just go with the flow of this story and see where I head. I originally wanted to create a story that doesn't always have to escalate to romance but more of a bond in friendship. But as of right now, no visions come to mind on pairings. (At least for the four main ones). Also as for the name of the team name you showed, you will have to see what I have in store.**

 **To Littlest1: Even if there is no question to answer, I had to comment in admiration on how you see this story as a Disney message which is right in a sense and I couldn't help but chuckle.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: I am very much glad to see you enjoying this story as an escape. (It is for me as well.) Also work hard.**

 **To Krystal: Since the four have met I see no reason why I shouldn't say no and I hope you stick around for a long while to see the story's progress.**

 **To EndlessChains: Thank you very much for your compliments and analysis. And thank you, especially, to reading my trailers, I know some would rather skip them however it would make things easier to understand the plot more so thank you for that. Also good observation on commenting on the little differences I already added to the story. I look** **forward to hearing what you have to say in the future.**

 **Writen: I don't know what that means I'm sorry but you can explain it to me PM if you would like.**

 **To DarkWriter69: Thank you very much on the trailers. I agree with you on the characters. From the moment I saw Ruby, Blake, Ren, and Adam I thought they should have been seen differently than the canon series.**

 **To Sideswipe08: Yes I do agree with how the four should have had an altered way than the canon and even if you're not a critic thank you for reading my story it means a lot. Also if I am the only one who has done a tragic backstory for the four, then thank you for letting me know. I don't think I am doing a great job but I will improve to show that I can make a great story.**

 **To Qrow's Talon: When it comes to Adam's semblance I wanted to have something to add on to his character. While he is a natural badass, I have a secret to his semblance that will be revealed in due time and then you will say "oh that's why" when you read it. Also Nora in this story… well I don't want to spoil the surprised I have in store. I'm evil.**

 **To Ryukario64: Thank you for your advice and I have done so. Thanks for the support!**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 5: Surprises in Initiation

Hours after everyone had gone to bed; the calming night sky had started to fade, turning from black to orange and then orange to blue. The sun had risen a good angle overtime where its light scattered through the window into every corner of the ballroom. The tints of heat already reached the faces and bodies of numerous sleeping freshmen, creating a small band of disgruntled moans, groans, and murmurs as the students were awakening.

With her sleeping bag located next to the corner window, Ruby was one of the first to feel the suns heat. The tints of warmth smothered her face causing her nose to scrunch up as awareness slowly started to return to her.

While bothersome the warmth was, she did not move as a small sense of familiarity reminded her of being cuddled by her mother in her adolescent youth. With her eyes still closed, Ruby envisioned her mother holding a smaller version of herself.

She was lovingly wrapped around the snow white cape that Summer Rose always wore. Its warm cotton material always acted like a soft blanket whenever she went underneath it. Ruby can recount many times in the past where she smothered herself in her mother's cape. It always soothed her whenever she had a nightmare, or when she was scared of the "Grimm under her bed" as her sister used to make her believe.

No matter what hardship she faced in her childhood, her mother was always there to provide loving warmth that always stopped any tears from falling. The cape provided security and protection, reminding Ruby whenever she was around the white cape that her mother was never far behind. The tender memories brought a faint smile onto Ruby's lips but then fell immediately.

' _LIES!'_ a voice inside her screamed. It was without emotion and felt so cold that it could cause a shiver down a spine. _'Your mother is no longer here. She's gone and she's never coming back!'_

Ruby curled herself into a little ball as she pulled her blanket closer to her face. The voice was chuckling almost sinisterly. It was true, her mother was gone and upon realizing it, the warmth that she felt now was nothing more than mimicry of what once made her smile.

A mimicry that can never bring the same happiness she felt, the happiness that she lost… forever. She turned away from the light and let out a faint murmur, her consciousness already trying to awaken her.

' _No matter what you do, you can never run from the past! Accept your demons! Live your sin! Embrace what you could become!' the voice laughed wickedly._

Ruby groaned again and the sinister voice continued to laughed until it started to fade away as she emerged from slumber.

' _Morning already?'_ she thought with her mind still a bit hazy. The voice that flooded her dreams was now gone with no traces of memory left. _'Damn it…five more minutes.'_

Ruby let out a long groan and tried to allow slumber to return. But after a few minutes, it did not and it felt useless to try and continue to hope. The harsh remembrance of her mother had been enough to rob her of tiredness. However, instead of getting up, she stayed still, allowing her strength to build up. She tried to recall any faint or fragmented memories of a dream she may have had last night.

As to be expected, there were none. At least none that she can recall. For Ruby, dreams were considered a privilege to obtain. It was rare for her to ever dream so whenever she did, she would always make sure to make mental note of it and write it down in her dream notes. She had done this for years ever since the loss of her mother.

But unfortunately, she had only a dozen dreams written down since then.

With her consciousness now active Ruby had long gave up on the idea of sleeping, but her eyes refused to open. Although awake, her eyelids felt heavy, and the comfortable position she was in did not help in getting her up either. This was a usual routine for Ruby. She was not, and never will be, a morning person.

Even when she was out of school, away from early hours, homework, masses of annoying bullies, and with little responsibilities to worry about, her Uncle Qrow never permitted Ruby to sleep in.

No matter what day of the month, Ruby always woke up early because of her uncle. Even if the man didn't stick around to see her get up, Qrow always left her a glass of milk on the counter. A sign of his presence.

For months, it all seemed like a game to Ruby. Every morning, when Qrow wasn't on a mission, he would wake her and Ruby would have to be fast enough to see him before he vanished out of her room. Even if her mental state was always groggy in the morning, she knew his reasons were to keep her sharp. Danger could be at every corner in her life and it was important to be ready even in the most vulnerable state.

' _One day I'll catch up to you Qrow. Just wait and see…. Mentor.'_ That was the promise that she made to him years ago.

' _Those who always sleep in are more welcoming of death. If one cannot tackle the early morning first, then how can they tackle a great threat when the time comes?'_ He always said to her. Another lesson she hopes to master along the path of a warrior.

' _But Qrow isn't here."_ Said a voice in her mind. _'He's not with you anymore and there are no lessons for you to learn from him now._ _'Your mother is gone, Qrow is gone and you are all alone.'_

Again the voice was right. Not only about Qrow and her mother but about her being alone. Her remaining family was elsewhere far away, but she was already used to that. ' _Does it really matter at this point?'_ Ruby asked the voice. _'I enjoy being alone. So there is nothing new there.'_

Whatever the inner voice meant, it wouldn't matter. Ruby knew from the start that she was on her own and no sudden change in surroundings would change that. Rather than being lonely, it was more of a relief.

At least in a new environment, she could start over a new life. And upon thinking about it, nothing was truly different for her. Adjusting would be fast and adapting was one of her specialties.

Ruby smirked to herself and enjoyed the still peace and quiet. She began to recall everything that happened yesterday. The events on the airship, the incident at the square, the orientation, and even seeing some familiar faces.

She would admit, a lot has happened, both good and bad. And it all happened under one morning. _'That was more eventful than anything I did in a whole year.'_ Ruby thought.

However, that was yesterday. Today was a new day for her and she knew it was time to tackle it whether she wanted to or not. Even if there was no milk on the counter for her this time.

With minimal resistance, Ruby slowly opened her eyes, her blurry vision starting to return to normalcy. She turned to her right and the first thing she saw was the sleeping bag of Ren, empty.

' _That's right. I was sleeping next to Ren… and Blake and Adam were below us.'_ She had forgotten that she wasn't on her own last night and slowly raised herself up. The rising motion dropped her blankets down to her lap causing Ruby to feel a brief frisk of cool air rush through her body.

It sent a shiver down her spine that felt refreshing and sprang up some minor energy within her. She yawned and rubbed her neck from its stiffness, hearing a satisfied crack as she felt her shoulders relaxing.

She glanced around the ballroom to see a good number of people still stirring while a few early risers were doing the same as she.

Some yawned, others were up and stretching, and a few whispered a classic phrase to themselves _'five more_ minutes'. Ruby shook her head at how stereotypical teens were when it came to waking up. However, as Ruby inspecting the room even further, she began to hear a few loud, and quiet, snores, kissing and giggling noises from those having perverted dreams and even seeing some cuddling their pillows with drool stains imprinted on most of the pillows faces.

Seeing how the noises were coming from both an equal number of boys and girls, Ruby could tell there will be a lot of 'release' among most of her classmates throughout the year. Release, that Ruby wanted no part in.

While sex may be considered a taboo to many, Ruby actually learned it through her sister, regrettably, when she was young. What made it regrettable was how 'thorough' Yang was with her teachings; adding in quick tips on how to please, learning what goes where, and how to make 'your man' beg for more.

Ruby cringed at the memories of sexual education from her sister. She was thankful that her naïve traits were beginning to fade at the time and she asked her Uncle Qrow later on, whose teachings involved less first person demonstrations and more lecture based.

Ruby turned to the exit leading into the halls and saw a good number of students up and about walking both to and from the ballroom. The hallways only lead to certain areas in their location. Students already up could either head towards one of the several bathrooms or head down to the dining hall to eat breakfast that was serving at around this time. All everywhere else were labeled restricted areas for Freshmen and guarded by some instructors or senior students that Ruby noticed when she arrived.

Stretching her legs, Ruby glanced up at a clock hanging overhead and saw that it was seven-thirty. From what she remembered in the handbook she received, breakfast was served at seven and the initiation was to take place at nine. There was no exact definition from what Ruby could see in the handbook. But it was clear this would be the final test to truly see who belonged in Beacon.

Ruby narrowed her eyes at the thought. For the past few days she had been taking several entrance exams to show where she was in academics, combat and intelligence. The memories brought a shudder that was followed by a hard look into her lap. Those memories were not because the tests were hard, but rather because it reminded her of the hard times she endured in one of her classrooms back at Signal.

During her seventh grade, every time in the same class, Ruby would get pinned to the teacher's desk by a group of students, have her arms spread, and take socks full of hard soap into her stomach. She could say that was perhaps why she was so petite, because she always lost her appetite after before lunch was served.

Ruby shook her head, she didn't want to think about that any further and instead remembered how awkward it was for her to walk into a classroom after being away from one for so long. It also didn't help when she had to sit around people who were all older than her.

The test was stressful enough and their stares did not help. Neither did the comments on her appearance and age. She shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She didn't have to concern herself with them any further. She passed those tests with flying colors despite being a drop out and younger. And it was all thanks to her uncle never giving her a break in her studies.

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts when she felt someone walk by and glanced at all the people passing her with groggy faces. The whole scene appeared more like an undead zombie herd moving together rather than the next generation of hunters. This brought some amusement to Ruby. Majority of them looked like they can belong with the dead because of their carelessness of acquiring a substantial length of sleep.

All throughout the night were girls painting their toes, guys who wouldn't stop flirting, and both who were too busy on their scrolls either texting or browsing away for hours. Those who were effected were immediately trying to cover their drooling, brush their disheveled hair, and fix their immodest appearances. Others looked confused, probably forgetting so easy that they weren't in their rooms or homes anymore and now surrounded by new people.

A few boys, Ruby caught sight of, were already shirtless, forgetting that they were in public. But rather than feel embarrassed, some started flexing their muscles in front of a few waking girls who were blushing with a few even drooling. Ruby then thought of her sister again and knew Yang would already be purring at the sight of them and trying to get one of their attention by showing one of her bare legs.

She shook her head, feeling annoyed by what she knew her sister would do and thought it to be ridiculous and too early for perverted nonsense. She turned towards the window this time trying to get the image of Yang flirting out of her mind. She could see the clear blue sky with the sun already shining away happily doing its job to wake the world below it. It was going to be fairly sunny day, and Ruby disliked it.

The sun and her never got along in the past, nor did she and the heat. As far as Ruby would describe, they were her mortal enemies and that would never change. She would always be a child of the night.

Silently, Ruby thanked her mother for watching over her for another day and slowly got out of her sleeping bag. When she stood up, she realized that the spots taken up by Blake and Adam were already gone leaving nothing but two empty spaces.

' _Well, good morning to you two… I suppose.'_ She shrugged and picked up her sleeping bag and book. She then made her out of the ballroom and headed down the hall, following a few dozen other students along the path.

The move was relatively calm with no noise other than the tapping of shoes, feet, and slippers hitting the floor. She actually started to enjoy the short walk until she heard a loud, familiar yell a little far ahead of her.

' _Wait… please do not be who I think it is.'_

Moving to the side, past a few students ahead of her, Ruby could only sigh as she slowed her pace. _'Damn it… why now?'_ Just a short distance ahead of her, Ruby instantly recognized the voice that belonged to none other than Weiss Schnee.

' _For the Lunar Goddess' sake Schnee… this early? Why can you not bite your tongue?'_

As Weiss' position drew near, Ruby looked ahead again, out of curiosity, to see why the heiress was yelling. From what she can make out, the ordeal involved a boy and herself.

Ruby glanced at the male student but, as to be expected, he was not anyone whom she recognized. He looked to be what some could describe as 'a sensitive type', with those innocent looking chubby cheeks, slim body and combed back hair. He looked relatively nervous, for good reason, and had his back, literally, against the wall with Weiss leaning in with eyes glaring so hard that they looked ready to bulge out. Her pale skin was already reddening from anger which, to Ruby, could be described as a usual sight by now.

What actually surprised Ruby more was the fact that Weiss' snow white hair, usually kept in a tight pony tail, was let loose covering most of her back and stopping right underneath her buttocks. As much as Ruby had to admit, she looked better with her hair down as it made her look much tougher, especially with that scar on her eye. Like mostly everyone else, the heiress was still in her pajamas. She wore a sky blue nightgown that went down to her knees with white outlines and a snowflake insignia near her right breast. The material looked to be made of silk from the best tailor around and probably more expensive than it needed to be. But when your family is as rich as the Schnee family, money troubles are never a problem.

While Ruby could admit that it does look to be well made, she only had one thought cross her mind.

' _I hate bright colors.'_

Ruby groaned. She had nothing against those who liked lighter colors or shades, but they never did sit well with her when her father and sister tried dozens, upon dozens, of times in the past to have her wear them.

With Ruby now approaching the hostile territory, Schnee's hands rested on her thighs as she still glared at the boy with unforgiving eyes. While confused, shocked, and mildly terrified, the boy looked half-awake with some crust still in his eyes, a half gaze towards Weiss, and standing groggily, barely able to keep himself up.

"Hey! Are you even listening?" asked Weiss, growing incredibly impatient. She tapped her foot waiting for a response. But the boy could only muster a groan as he tried to focus on Weiss. They couldn't which made things worse.

"Don't you dare groan at me!" Shrieked Weiss, highly insulted. "I am the one who should be annoyed with you! Were you even aware of what you did or are you just some smelly monkey with no sense of intelligence!"

"What…" replied the boy. "What are you-"

"Why don't you watch where you're going!" Weiss shouted. "Look at this!"

The heiress extended her left foot forward revealing her footwear. She had been wearing a pair of white Golden Toe brand sandals. Each sandal had a dark blue strap that was etched with details of swirling blue lines that represented waves.

The boy looked down at her foot and other than noticing her white painted toenails he didn't know what he was looking at.

"I don't-"

"You damaged my sandal and stepped on my foot!" Weiss shouted growing redder by the second. She was even starting to shake a little.

The boy looked at the sandal after rubbing his eye a little to erase the crust. He then noticed after a very close observation that there was a small brown smudge on the left hand side of the sandal.

"That's just a-"

"Do you know how much this pedicure costs!?" Weiss cut him off again. "Honestly, as if it wasn't bad enough stepping on my sandal, you stepped on my big toe too! How stupid are you? You… you… you complete dunce! An idiotic dunce, I swear you are just-"

"Hello… princess."

Weiss stopped her yelling and stood still for second. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The boy looked confused and looked behind Weiss to see a cute petite goth girl which brought a blush to his cheeks.

Weiss nodded to herself and turned to face Ruby. She stared into those silver eyes and Ruby stared into those icy blue ones.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face to me again… Ruby Rose."

Ruby smirked a little as she crossed her arms. "So you learned my name. I'm flattered."

"Don't let that go to your head Rose. I keep tabs on all who I dislike."

Ruby scoffed as she brushed some hair away from her eyes. "You dislike me? Oh woe is me; I don't know how I will ever sleep well again." She said sarcastically.

"Oh please," Weiss said annoyed. "I know the feeling is mutual with you as well so you better understand this. I don't want you anywhere near my space or person."

Ruby raised an eyebrow with the smirk never leaving her face. "I planned that long before you decided princess. It will never be my intention to be near you. This just happens to be the way we have to walk to reach the lockers."

Weiss scoffed and swayed her hair to the side. "Do not call me princess, it's as bad as snow angel… anyways that doesn't explain why you're here talking to me when I clearly don't want anything to do with a dunce like you."

"All I am trying to do is keep you from murdering an innocent man here for something so childish as stepping on your poor little sandal." Replied Ruby.

"Childish?!" Weiss exclaimed. "I will have you know these are Golden Toe sandals!"

Ruby blinked. Weiss was bewildered.

"The largest company to ever produce such beautifully crafted open toed shoes in all of Remnant!" said the heiress, this time a little slower and with more emphasis.

Again Ruby blinked. At this point Weiss was beginning to get a little annoyed. "They are so popular that every shoe they make is only out for a limited time and they only make 10,000 of the same product!"

"Oh…"

"Oh?! They are not oh you dunce! They are perfection!"

Ruby corked an eyebrow. Weiss was currently staring into space with dazzled eyes. She had cupped her hands up to her right cheek and was far too gone fantasizing all the different shoes there were for this brand. The smirk soon fell from Ruby's lips as she shook her head.

"You have a problem." She whispered and turned to the boy who was watching the whole thing with confusion. "You should probably get out of here."

"Huh… oh yeah… that's a good idea. Hey.. thanks and… if you want, maybe you and I could-"

"Never going to happen. Now go before I snap her out of her daze."

And with that, the boy spun and fled away.

Ruby turned back to Weiss. She was still in her little trance and it seemed like she would be like that for a while.

Shaking her head, Ruby turned and walked away, leaving Weiss too her fantasies.

' _That was completely pointless._ ' Ruby thought. _'A simple measure would be to use a stain removal pen. Simple as that… or is she just that spoiled for a rich girl.'_

Spotting her locker at the far right hand side of the hallway, Ruby dropped the topic all together and moved a little more quickly. When she was standing in front of the boring storage door, she entered her combination, opened it and put her sleeping things inside.

"Hello again partner." Ruby leaned into her locker and gently patted her Crescent rose. "I'm sorry I was away for so long. And unfortunately, I have to be away a little longer. But I will return soon."

She then bent down and pulled together her combat clothes. She double checked to make sure she had everything and nodded to herself.

A small smile quirked itself onto Ruby's lips as as she gently, and gracefully, kissed her weapon's cool metal surface causing a shiver to spring through her. She frowned at how cold her beloved weapon was, all lonely without her. The feeling was all too familiar and Ruby didn't like it.

"I'll return." She whispered and closed her locker door.

In her hands, Ruby carried her small bag with all of her normal clothes. She headed towards the nearest bathroom and was relieved to see only a few people inside when she entered. Some took showers, others were freshening up by the sink, and a few were styling their hair.

Ruby moved quickly past the other students to draw less attention and entered the last stall in the back. She sighed a breath of relief when no one turned to look at her. She guessed because they were still feeling a little groggy after waking up.

With the hard part out of the way, Ruby took her time changing at a good steady pace. She would be fully changed in about a minute and a half. It was as her Uncle instructed her when she was learning the basics of her training.

' _If you change too fast, you would feel uncomfortable and make mistakes. But change to slow and you would waste time.'_

' _Your training is really paying off Qrow.'_ With the real initiation coming up, Ruby was feeling comfortable with already concurring the morning challenges. In order to be truly ready, preparations must be made in order to be at her best.

However, during her change, the pleasant quietness was getting louder and louder within the course of a minute that when Ruby left her stall, she was both surprised and annoyed by the reasons why.

Right when she opened the door there were two girls laughing. One was in her pajamas while the other was half naked. Before Ruby could even say something, the two girls barged into the stall causing Ruby to be unintentionally shoved out. She was glad that she already had all of her possessions in hand but was not so happy with being pushed towards a small crowd of people forming some kind of line to the stalls.

' _How in the world did this happen?'_ Thought a bewildered Ruby.

All around her was an abundance of both boys and girls who entered in one single mass. The nearly empty restroom was now flooded with groggy, smelly teens all anxious to get ready to start their day. Some were 'using' the stalls, others were showering, and a few were brushing their teeth or doing their hair.

Ruby shook her head at all the excitement and walked towards the mirror and sinks. She was forced to take several detours around people who didn't move. She couldn't believe how annoying it was to simply brush one's teeth and get out. But what annoyed her the most, was how noisy the bathroom had gotten.

"Hey! Anyone have a spare bar of soap?!"

"No we are not showering together I'm a guy and you're a girl!"

"Don't stare at my tits!"

"Dude let me borrow your toothpaste, mine sucks!"

"This water is cold!"

"Hey let me wash your back!"

"Get out of my shower you perverted woman! I don't need you washing my back!"

"I gotta pee, I gotta pee look out people!"

"Hey can I borrow your shampoo?! It smells good!"

"Stop staring at my boobs! They're not THAT big dude!"

' _Damn it!'_ Ruby sighed as she spat out her mouthwash. _'For the love of all that is dark and creepy, please don't let this be a daily thing.'_

She groaned and checked her reflection from all angles. She didn't look too bad. Her hair needed to be slightly brushed but that was about it. She didn't care for makeup, styling, and the sort like her sister or most women who were overly obsessed with their hair.

' _No matter how much you care about your looks, its meaningless if you constantly worry about it.'_ Her Uncle had once said. _'In combat, your looks would change, for better or worse, and without your skills to back it up, your end will be faster than others. Look at me for example Ruby, I may drink a lot but it gives me an advantage. Let your negatives be your strength against your enemies. Blind them with it and then go for the throat.'_

Ruby stared at the sink for a minute. She was only 12 when her uncle said that and now she was contemplating it even further as she twirled her hair brush in-between her fingers. _'Go for the throat huh.'_

"LOOK OUT!"

On instinct, Ruby dodged to the left, rolling into a kneeling positon with her hair brush extended upwards acting as a knife ready for striking. She looked all around to see no traces of danger and slowly started to ease.

As Ruby stood up she noticed that a soapy sponge had hit the mirror she was facing. The impact looked hard with the suds all bursting out from the yellow square and trailing down the mirror. Either someone had thrown it at her or accidentally launched it in her direction.

Either way there was a vein on Ruby's forehead as she slowly turned with narrowed eyes. She could see two girls half naked pointing at each other as they shook their heads furiously when Ruby's eyes made contact with them. The whole bathroom was silent except for the showerheads still spraying water onto the still naked bodies of students who poked their heads out to see what was happening.

Realizing all eyes were on her, Ruby relaxed herself a little with no real threat being detected and stared at the two girls who were slightly trembling. She did not want to be the center of attention.

However, despite her relaxing, the two girls continued to tremble. In fact, when Ruby looked around, most of the students backed away from her which confused her even more.

'What did I do?' she wondered and turned back to the mirror which answered her question. Upon a closer look, Ruby noticed that her eyes were pure black with no white at all to be seen.

'Shit!'

Instantly Ruby blinked several times and her eyes reverted back to normal. She felt idiotic for letting her hidden ability show so easily. She immediately exhaled grabbed her bag and rushed out using her semblance to get away.

"Did you see that?"

"That's not normal."

"Is she a demon?"

"What a freak."

Ruby sighed as she could hear them behind the bathroom door. Insults were nothing new but she did not want to have them on her second day already.

She rubbed her eyes a little and frowned. While she did enjoy using her "Night Eyes" as she dubbed them, they had a history of getting her into trouble or causing fear from some people. They had cons but they also had pros. Using her night eyes enabled Ruby to see in the dark, and allowed her to be sensitive to all motion around her. They were similar to sonar effects in combination with night vision that only Faunus could possess.

Walking away from the bathroom door, Ruby raised her hood and took a few steps away before accidentally bumping into someone's shoulder causing herself and the other person to recoil slightly.

' _Again? Why must I keep bumping into people?! Uncle Qrow would be very disappointed!'_ Ruby internally screamed.

'Hello Ruby."

The red hooded girl stopped her internal uproar and looked up to see the familiar face of Ren standing there stoically with his sleeping bag and book cradled in his arms. He was already dressed in his combat attire.

"Apologies Ren." Ruby said bowing her head. "I don't mean to always bump into you, I was merely rushing out of the restroom because the commotion inside was-"

"Loud and irritating?" Ren interrupted.

Ruby nodded and sighed. "Yes. Very irritating."

Ren nodded in understanding. "I had a feeling commotions would start around this time. That is why I got up extra early to enjoy the peace and quiet."

Ruby rubbed her temples. "I wish you had woken me up too." She muttered.

Ren smiled apologetically. "Apologies, but I did not know whether that would have been rude or not. Also Blake and Adam were up earlier than I. Their belongings were gone when I awoke."

Ruby nodded and cracked her neck that was becoming stiff. "You do not have to apologize Ren. Your logic was valid. So it is fine." She said.

Ren nodded and shuffled his bag to get a better grip on it. "To be honest, I am by no means a morning person."

"The feeling is mutual." Replied Ruby.

"Well then. Would you like to accompany me to my locker and then set off to the dining hall for breakfast?"

"That would be fine." Ruby said without really thinking about it. She stood to the side and even grabbed Ren's book so he had a better grip on his sleeping bag.

"Thank you Ruby." He said with a small smile.

Ruby smiled back and nodded. "Lead the way."

The walk was comfortable and silent, much like their previous encounters. They passed several students fiddling with their lockers and even a few instructors making sure all were obeying the rules.

As they walked, Ruby started to notice a similarity in both their routes to their lockers.

"Ren." Ruby called out.

"Yes Ruby?" replied Ren.

"What is your locker number?"

"I own locker number 1227. Why do you ask?"

Ruby nodded and slowly looked away. "Curiosity mostly. Mine is 1225." She muttered.

Ren raised an eyebrow then lowered it. "You are two lockers down from me."

"What are the odds?" Ruby asked with a shrug. "Better that than being next to strangers all the time."

"Indeed. I feel quite relieved to have a familiar face near as well."

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle a little as Ren smiled.

When the two reached locker 1227, Ruby turned away as Ren entered his combination. She valued privacy to the letter for herself and for others. However, when she heard the door pop open, her curiosity couldn't resist.

Her eyes immediately wandered inside and stared at the _pair of green weapons metallically emplaced onto the locker's back wall. Their structure was crafted with parts to make them miniature automatic submachine guns and what intrigued Ruby the most was the long blades attached under each weapon's barrel. The green paint job worked well with the highlights of dark black along the sides. Engraved on each of the weapon's grip lay a small pink symbol that represented, what Ruby guessed, a lotus flower. Next to the weapons were Ren's black fingerless gloves with the same pink lotus symbols on each forehand._

 _'So these are his weapons.'_ _Ruby thought. It was the first time she had actually seen them and in honesty, she was curious since she learned of him attending Beacon._ _'From the design and features… these automatics can change to semi with a flip of the switch. And these blades look sharp both on the tips and the edges. They can stab and slice at the same time… incredible. Did he build these? They're so well crafted, nearly perfect.'_

"Ruby…"

Ruby's ears perked at the sound of her name and snapped out of her thoughts. She turned to Ren with a raised eyebrow who was currently staring at her.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Apologies but… you are blocking my locker."

Ruby turned back and realized that she was indeed leaning into his locker. Her entire head was inside face to face with the weapons. Internally embarrassed, Ruby quickly pulled her head back and bowed to him awkwardly as she took a step backwards.

"Apologies… I was just…. admiring your weapons and I… sorry."

Ren was silent for a second. Ruby didn't know what he was thinking with his blank expression. Then Ren shrugged as he as grabbed one of his gloves. "Do not worry about it Ruby. So you have a fascination with weapons?"

Ruby sighed quietly and nodded. "Yes… I have an… admiration for weapons."

"A strong one at that." Ren replied as he grabbed and put his other glove on.

Ruby slightly blushed. Once again, her fascination with weapons had taken over completely and disregarded everything around her. "Again apologies… I've never seen those kind weapons before. Did you make them?"

Ren smiled a little and shook his head. Ruby handed him back his book and he put it on the top shelf. He then picked up his weapons one at a time to let Ruby get a closer look. She did without hesitation and admired the craftsmanship once again.

"I have never forged these types of weapons before. Allow me to introduce 'Storm Flower'." Ruby repeating the name in her mind until she wouldn't forget it. "These weapons have history. They originally belonged to my father back in his days as a Hunter. He was the one who forged them." Ruby noted everything Ren was telling her and she noticed, from the side of her eye, a very minor saddened expression on Ren's face for a brief second before disappearing. "In a sense you could call these a hand-me-down. Also, these gloves I have on now could considered weapons."

Ren looked down at the lotus symbol on one of his glove and smiled. "These gloves are roughly the same age as Storm Flower. They belonged to my mother during her time as a hunter as well and she dubbed them 'Goddess' Hands.' These gloves allow me to generate aura through my hands in order to strengthen a blow or create a protection sphere when needed."

Ruby stared at the gloves with fascination. "I see. So they are capable of creating force fields. Does this mean that the protection is only as strong and durable as the user's aura supply?"

Ren nodded.

"That is correct. Very good observation. These gloves are adaptive to anyone who uses them. However, as you said, not all have the same quantity of aura. The user has to rely on their own reserves if they want to use them. In fact, I just so happened to be born with an abnormally large amount of aura. The same situation my mother had. It is because of that, that I had to train intensively in order to withhold it. In fact, thanks to my aura control, I am able to strengthen my endurance, speed, strength, and power." Ren stated.

"Incredible." Ruby replied. "I admire your parent's creativity. They must have been… amazing hunters." she said in a low voice.

"They were. At least… I know they were." Ren replied in a heavy tone.

Ruby observed Ren's facial expression. She was very observant by the way Ren spoke of his parents in past tense. It was without doubt that his parents were no longer with him. Either way, dead, missing, or simply gone, Ruby could related very much to what he is feeling.

"Well… I look forward to seeing them in battle." Ruby said and, awkwardly, place a hand on Ren's shoulder.

Ren smiled and nodded to her. "Thank you Ruby." He then closed his locker and before moving back he stared at Ruby.

"Um… Ruby… you know you don't have to keep holding my shoulder."

Ruby's eyebrow corked up. She was confused until Ren pointed to her hand that was indeed resting on his shoulder.

' _Oh…'_ Ruby immediately retracted her hands and looked away with an annoyed blush on her face. "Sorry… that's the last time I try to do the 'pat on the shoulder'." She muttered the second part more to herself.

Unfortunately, Ren heard it and actually let out a short laugh. "It was not a bad thing Ruby. Actually thank you."

Ruby looked confused. "Thank you for what?"

Ren shook his head and smiled. "For making me laugh."

"Are you making fun of me again?"

Ren rolled his eyes. "No I never made fun of you."

"Then why did you roll your eyes?" Ruby folded her arms.

"Just because."

"That is not an answer."

"That is debatable, now come on Ruby. Let's go."

Ren started to walk in the direction of the dining hall until Ruby stopped him.

"Don't you think you should put those away?" she asked, pointing to his weapons. "We aren't allowed to have our weapons out until initiation."

Ren nodded and felt silly for forgetting. "One second."

He then raised his hands into the air. Ruby's eyes went wide when she witnessed him tossing his weapons into the air where the twin guns immediately collapsed into each of his sleeves.

"I forgot to mention that they are collapsible." He said, noticing Ruby's obvious staring, and shrugged. "Now, let's go," he said and walked down the hall.

Ruby stood in place for a few seconds and then moved to catch up with him. _'Ok, that was honestly incredible.'_

For Ruby, breakfast was surprisingly decent. Both Ren and herself were able to find a table next to the corner window after grabbing their meals. Ruby had fixed herself a standard portion of scrambled eggs, rice, a slice of buttered toast, an apple, and a glass of milk.

She had all the necessary food groups she needed and was pleased with her meal's turnabout. For Ren, he chose a simple short stack of pancakes with strawberry syrup and a cup of tea. When questioned on this, Ren explained to Ruby that they were his favorite food and he wasn't all that picky. Ruby couldn't really argue against that and the two enjoyed their meals in comfortable silence.

As they ate, they made small talk on their food and other topics. Most of which involved the whereabouts of Blake and Adam. It wasn't anything to worry about but more of a curiosity and the topic soon dropped.

All around, more and more students were entering the dining hall after getting dressed and using the restrooms. With more people coming in, the chattering grew louder where it echoed off of the walls, making twice as much noise prior.

By the time Ruby and Ren finished, they immediately left the dining hall and walked back to their lockers.

"The food was quite good no?" Ren asked as he opened his locker.

Ruby who was turning to the last digit of her combination, popped the locker door opened and nodded in agreement. "Yes, although I wish the apple was more fresh."

Ren shook his head as he placed his organized his things on the top shelf of his locker. "I did tell you to get to select one from the bottom."

Ruby sighed. "I'll remember that for next time."

Before Ren could reply a loud bell started ringing from out the large clock tower in the center of Beacon. Ruby turned and spotted a nearby clock that read 8:00 am.

' _One more hour until initiation.'_ Ruby thought.

Ren closed his locker and walked towards Ruby while staring at the clock as well.

"Almost time." He said. His tone was now more serious than it was previous. Ruby nodded as her eyes narrowed.

"Initiation is almost upon us."

The initiation no joke for the light hearted. Any mistake could lead to leaving Beacon either as a failure or in a body bag. That was what Ruby's uncle had told her.

Only the best could stay and succeed. Something both Ruby and Ren felt strongly towards. They would do everything they can to pass the initiation. It would be their way of showing Beacon that they belonged.

It was then that Goodwitch's voice came forward through the speaker's announcements which surprised the duo.

"Attention freshmen students. The time is now 8:00 a.m. Initiation will begin in one hour. Allow me to remind you all that Beacon is the premier academy for huntsmen and huntresses. Only those who are the most determined will stay in our academy. The worst have already been sorted out. Now, however, we must further weed out any remaining students unable to last in a live combat situation. Further details on this shall be given at the start of the test. Now then, we will begin by first sending each and every one of you coordinates to your designated testing section. You will also be receiving a list of names of whom will be in the same section as you. You will receive these coordinates via your scroll. Be ready, be there by 9:00 AM sharp, and do not be late. Good luck to all of you."

As the announcements came to an end Ruby took mental note of everything Goodwitch said. She tensed momentarily at hearing the familiar ringtone she set for her scroll.

' _The woman works fast.'_ She thought and opened her messages.

She read the coordinates carefully and was surprised to see that her spot was in the Alpha section of the Emerald Forest, specifically on top of the Cliffside. The Emerald forest, while enormous as it was, must have had plenty of areas more suitable for a location than a Cliffside.

' _Why would they place us there?'_ Ruby thought.

From what she had learned, a section is the exact size of two soccer fields. And since reading the manual. The overall forest was labeled down into twenty sections. That is forty soccer fields worth of forest crawling with dangers.

While the width and dangers did not concern Ruby in the slightest, she did feel internally pleased to be placed in Alpha. While the name held no specific meaning at all, it did seem nice to know that she was in the first section of the forest. A minor subconscious victory for her.

Putting that aside, she continued down to and clicked to open the list of names. The first thing she saw was a roster with the title **ALPHA SECTION** in big bold letters. Below that, it read '25 per Section', meaning there would be twenty-four others with her.

Ruby felt a bit anxious about the thought of being around strangers. She took a deep breath and hoped for the best as she read the names once by one. She relieved some stress to see her name in the fifth slot. So far no name she recognized and continued down. Ruby then cringed as she read the eighth name.

"Weiss Shnee" she mumbled with a heavy sigh. _'Why must we be in the same group?'_ she groaned internally. _'Whatever she's not important right now. Let's see who's next, Cardin Winchester, Artemis Evergreen, Amber Rhodes, Jaune Arc-'_

As Ruby kept listing off the names, she felt some anxiety returning as she didn't recognize anyone, other than Weiss, so far. She had hoped to have at least Ren, Blake, or Adam. Someone she could actually tolerate. It was then when she read the 15th name that she felt slightly more at ease.

' _Adam Taurus'_ she thought relieved.

Ruby then spotted two other names next to each other just a little lower and a small smile actually grew on her lips.

' _Lie Ren and Blake Belladonna.'_

"It seems we are in the same group." Ren suddenly called out to his hood wearing friend.

Ruby had been so focused on the list that she actually forgot that she was standing next to Ren. She nodded to Ren and tried to hide the relief in her voice.

"I saw, and it looks like Blake and Adam are also in the same group as us." Ruby said. Ren actually smiled and nodded.

"This should be interesting." He said.

Ruby nodded, looking back down at her scroll. _'I guess fate is being generous to me after all.'_ She thought and continued to read the last of the names.

Knowing there were people she could tolerate made things less stressful for Ruby.

However, when Ruby reached the final name, her eyes fully widened. Calmness was gone and a huge shift had ripped through her emotions as she let out a loud gasp.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Ruby exclaimed as her voice echoed through the empty hallway.

Ren slightly jumped and quickly turned to Ruby.

"What is it?!" he asked, completely alert. It was then that he saw Ruby going paler than usual as her eyes narrowed with a troubled look on her face. He could see her pupils shaking slightly as she gripped her scroll tightly in her hands.

Ruby then slowly turned to Ren, who didn't know what he was about to hear. And then, what felt like centuries of waiting, Ruby muttered only three words.

"Yang Xiao-long."

 **And thus the fifth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **P.S. Thank you all for your growing support and thank you for your patience.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	9. Chapter 6

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the sixth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Ladygoddess8: Your observations is keen and I look forward to hearing what you have to say in this chapter.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: Thank you and I hope you have a good summer too when you get out! And yes I felt that the random jump scenes in the canon series didn't show enough ordinary school life before the action so I did it here so anyone can relate haha. And yes I wanted to give audience a taste of what they can expect in the next chapter from the mother's day special.**

 **To Littlest1: I can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter too.**

 **To EndlessChains: Thank you for being a loyal reader. I did want to make a sneak peek with that special and I can't wait to hear what you have to say in the next chapter.**

 **To Wolfgirl: Thank you for your kind words and I appreciate that you like this new way of using these characters together!**

 **To Ishkahrhil: Thank you for constructively giving me advice! I look forward to hearing what else you have in store for me haha and yes I know, I did use some research on the word and I felt it was used in a correct form. But hey I am still learning. Let me know what you think of this next chapter.**

 **To Rey: By pairings do you mean romance? As I have said before, my main focus is not romance but that does not mean it isn't a possibility. Just not right now as I want to create a RWBY story that has friendship and doesn't need romance to grow into a good read like many others. As for the team name and partners…. Well that's a surprise XD**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 6: Secrets

It was now 8:35 in the morning and all 500 freshmen were beginning their individual voyages to their designated locations. Those who were placed in the farthest of sections ventured earlier so they would not risk running late. No one wanted to face the wrath of Professor Goodwitch. It would be suicidal to do so.

Many upperclassmen watched, in amusement, as the freshmen all hustled in the direction of the Emerald Forest and broke off into different areas. The majority had run, others sped walked and a few even flew, all scattering, all nervous. Some were lucky enough to be given tips by some of the older students they knew. Others simply went by the rumors they heard, but most were relatively blind for what is to come.

A few veteran students wished their underlings well but knew not all would come back. Memories of their own test returned with nostalgia and under strict orders, by the headmaster himself, no upperclassman was to reveal any detail of the test.

Without a doubt, it was clear that some freshmen would not be returning the following day. The tension was high and the same thought plagued each freshman's mind: _Don't let it be me._

Everyone was practically on edge, some even terrified. Now was a time where anxiety came from the level of stress, pressure, and fear that could only be described as an understatement.

Since the beginning, every applicant, whether passed or failed, had to prove themselves over and over from the previous exams. And alas, it was clear that every test until now was merely a diversion to weed out the unqualified ones first. Perhaps to spare them from the hardship that was to come, or to simply eliminate those who had no place in Beacon.

Overall, it was truly nerve wrecking to know that even being welcomed onto the grounds of Beacon wasn't enough to be considered a full student yet. At least, not until this test was over. The fear of failing now, after making it so far would be more devastating than failing the first test. No one wanted to fail after coming so far. But it was inevitable for some.

As for Ruby, her tension was indeed focused on the test but also elsewhere. Somewhere far worse. At least in her mind, she believed it to be. She walked a brisk pace back and forth, back and forth pondering the situation at hand. She lost track of how many times she passed the small boulder next to her. She just kept pacing, her eyes glued to the ground and her hands behind her back.

Ren, who was silent the whole time, was leaning next to the boulder with his arms crossed. He had been watching Ruby pacing since they arrived and every time he tried to address the situation, he was always cut off.

Ruby pinched the space above her nose, almost tightly as she shut her eyes. If heard close enough, Ren could hear her muttering underneath her breath.

"She was not supposed to be here..."

"Ruby," Ren called out. "I do not know who-"

"And she knows I'm here too… she must have read the list by now..."

"Ruby I really think-"

"How is she here? And in in my section no less?"

"Ruby-"

"How am I going to deal with her now?!"

Ruby pinched the bridge of her nose harder, almost breaking the skin under the pressure. It was then that she felt a hand grip her right shoulder tightly, causing her to cease mobility. She looked up mildly surprised for a few seconds before noticing the hand belonging to Ren.

Instead of standing next to the boulder like he was before, Ren was standing in front of her path. She could feel his breath as he gently let go of her shoulder.

"Ruby," he started, with voice so deep that Ruby believed he was talking slowly. "Who is this Yang Xiao Long?" His tone was low and serious.

At first Ruby said nothing and lowered her head. Ren noticed Ruby fidgeting a bit and gently squeezed her shoulder again.

"If you do not want to talk about it I understand." He sighed. "But your actions are different than they once were."

Again his response was met with silence. Ruby sighed and turned her body completely away from Ren. She gazed out into the emerald forest and was deep in thought.

Right after receiving their list and coordinates, Ruby and Ren immediately left to their designated location so that they can avoid the coming crowds from the dining hall.

Along the walk, Ruby had been muttering to herself the entire time while Ren remained silent, mentally trying to figure out who this Yang Xiao Long was. Although smaller than most students, Ruby was outwalking many in her way. Ren was no slouch either and was able to keep up with the red hooded girl fairly easy.

It took only a few minutes for them to arrive at their location and both were internally captivated by the view. Their coordinates were near one of the tallest cliff sides around the Emerald forest which greeted the two with an ocean view of green as far as the eye could see.

Never in Ruby's life had she wanted to be in the forest as much as she did now. She gazed outwards towards the countless trees with longing eyes. Throughout her life, the forest had always been an escape from her problems. The peace and quiet comforted her, the trees soothed her, and the air refreshed her. Every hardship she had gone through, every trial she had faced and every sadness she experienced; the forest was always there to help clear her mind; and, on occasion, weep in privacy.

Today was no different. The forest would always be where she feels safe and secure.

"Ruby." Ren called again, his tone was now softer.

She still couldn't face him. Instead she sighed again. For the first time in a long while, she didn't know what to say. She angled her head slightly to the right and from the corner of her eye, Ruby could see Ren standing patiently behind her, waiting for her reply.

She could tell he wasn't a man who would drop a topic and secretly, she appreciated his sentiment a little bit.

Knowing it was inevitable, and with a heavy soul, Ruby slowly turned around and faced Ren. She wasn't sure if she should tell him, or if she even could. They have only known each other for, technically, a week so would it be right to tell him something so personal?

Her logic decided against it but her emotions flared out of the bottle she kept them in. Many thoughts surrounded Ruby; would she feel better if she finally told someone? Would he judge her? Would he pity her? Will it just make her feel worse? All the negative kept bringing up good points to the internal conflict.

However, when she looked into his magenta colored eyes, she could still see the hidden pain and sorrow she noticed when first meeting him. Only this time it felt as if it was not for himself… but for her.

Ever since Ruby had her first look at him, there had always been something relatable to Ren. Not because they had similar interests or had similar fashion, but more of an unspoken connection to someone who has seen and been through similar trials. The idea was almost laughable to Ruby as she had only known him for a short time. But the feeling of trust that she had for Ren still egged for her to tell him. It made her feel worse when she saw how patient he was with her problem. Her problem… not even his. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ruby spoke with a voice so low that it was almost mute.

"Before I tell you anything… I just wanted to apologize for how I have been acting." She said. Ren nodded in understanding. He knew all too well how sensitive emotions flare out of control when something very personal happens.

"It is alright Ruby." Ren replied. "Memories are sensitive, especially if they are hard ones." He paused and cleared his throat. "Is it safe to assume… that you and… this "person"," he worded himself carefully. "had crossed paths with one another in the past?"

Ruby didn't reply but silently made her way towards the boulder and took a seat on top of it, crossing her legs.

"More than you know." She sighed. "I spent every waking day seeing her when I was younger." She closed her eyes and replayed the memories of her and Yang when they were children.

Ren nodded and slowly approached the boulder. He did not face Ruby and instead looked out into the Emerald Forest. Like Ruby, Ren also had a deep love for nature's biomes and he would choose them over a city any given time. That is one of the reasons why he lived in the forest for six months rather than a city.

Ruby glanced at Ren from the corner of her eyes and raised her head.

"…Yang Xiao Long…" Ruby muttered, with a hint of agitation in her voice. "is… well… her relationship to me is…" no other words came out. As hard as she might, the words didn't want to come out. She sighed to herself as she looked back down at her legs.

' _Why is it so hard? I can tell him… I can trust him.'_

Ruby took in a deep breath and relaxed herself for a moment.

"Yang Xiao Long…" she said again, this time a little louder. "Is my sister."

She said it, she finally said it. Maybe a little too quick to understand but she said it and looked away. Ruby felt a little relieved to have finally said it but her nervousness caught up with her and she was wondering if it was a good idea to have said it.

Ren had not uttered a word yet and the silence worried Ruby. He was, in fact, carefully reviewing what she had said.

' _A sister…'_ he thought as the word dragged on. There were still many questions that needed answers. One being why Ruby disliked this Yang Xiao Long despite them being siblings. While it was it common for siblings to fight, Ruby's tone was full of malice when she first uttered her sister's name.

Finally, after much silence, a respond came. But it was not said by Ren.

"You have a sister?"

Both Ruby and Ren simultaneously turned towards the direction of the voice and saw the familiar faces of Adam and Blake standing side by side, both dressed in their regular combat outfits.

Neither Ren nor Ruby had noticed the two approaching and acknowledged them quickly. Ruby noticed that Adam was once again wearing his black sunglasses.

"Adam, Blake. Good morning." Ren said. Blake gave a little wave while Adam nodded. "When did you two arrive?"

"We were always here." Blake said, leaning on the boulder.

"You were?" Ruby asked, turning to Blake whom nodded in reply.

"We woke up early to do some morning training for today's test." Adam said. "When we received the email, Alpha section was near our spot."

Ruby nodded and looked away. "I did notice your names on the roster. How ironic to all be in the same group."

Adam and Blake looked at each other and then to Ruby. Her actions were unusually stiff and reserved. More so than yesterday. While they haven't known the young girl for very long, she has never shown this much tenseness before.

"There is a bit of hardship going through the mind of Ruby at the moment." Ren cut in. Noticing the two eyeing Ruby. The duo turned to Ren and waited for him to continue.

However, the long haired boy shrugged while shaking his head." I am just as much uninformed as you two. All I know for sure, is that Ruby has a sister, who is currently another freshman at our school and is in the same section as us." Ren turned to Ruby who didn't look up. "As far as I can tell, there seems to be some… complications between the two."

"So you have a sister?" Adam asked again. Ruby glanced at Adam and then back down to her legs, and nodded.

Adam crossed his arms. "So what is your quarrel? If she is a handful then I can tell you from personal experience that mine is no different." He said, pointing to Blake and ignored her glaring. However, he couldn't ignore the slight pain he felt when Blake "accidentally" hit his arm and winced.

Ren could not hide the amused look on his face and Ruby looked over with a small smile planted on her lips. However, the light amusement dropped instantly and the frown once more returned. "I'm afraid mine is… much worse."

Everything became silent. No one responded. The amusement soon vanished and was replaced with confusion and tenseness. It was then that Adam took a step forward.

"I think you should tell us everything little Red." he said. "She will be upon us soon enough."

"Agreed." Ren said.

"As do I." added Blake.

Ruby slowly glanced at each one of them. She wasn't sure what to say so she lowered her head again. Telling one person was hard enough, but telling three seemed almost impossible. She closed her eyes and pondered the thought.

It was then that Ruby felt something landing on her hood. Opening her eyes, slightly surprised, and glanced up to see Adam, with his gloved covered hand, gently rubbing her head softly.

He was not smiling nor acting cold. His motion was surprisingly fluid and impacted Ruby's memory of her Uncle Qrow rubbing her head when she was young. It was the only form of affection her uncle would ever show, and she secretly treasured them whenever she earned one.

Behind the sunglasses, Ruby could tell Adam was looking into her eyes though his face held no type of emotion. He then stopped rubbing and leaned in slightly.

"Little Red," he began. "We all have our demons." He said in a low voice. "We all have hard memories. I know I certainly do. And so do they." He nodded towards Blake and Ren.

"The point is." Adam continued. "If you let those memories haunt you, you will continue to suffer. Instead of suffering, let them strengthen you and your demons will soon quell."

Ruby remained silent and looked away. For as long as she can remember, she had been on her own. No friends, no true family aside from her Uncle, and no real happiness that she could say was hers. Despite that, she always reminded herself that it was better this way. Friends, family, and happiness were a liability for her. If attachments were formed, she would risk herself of dangers as well as others.

Now being exposed to a new school, with new people, and being able to start a new life, she felt many mix emotions. From dealing with annoyingly loud people, to meeting others whom she could get along with, Ruby knew things had changed dramatically in her life.

' _Mother… is this right? Is it ok for me… to feel?'_ The thoughts confused Ruby and it began to irritate how she couldn't figure them out. It was almost as if fate was toying with her. _'Feelings… are still a mystery to me…'_ thought Ruby. _'But… maybe… it can be a good start to understand them… in my new life.'_.

After much time in silence and contemplating, Ruby slowly looked up from her knees and towards Ren, Blake and Adam.

"You know Adam." Ruby said as she gently brushed his hand away. "I think I remember reading that quote from a book once. Tell me, did you ever read from 'The Corrupted Angel' before?"

Adam did not say anything as Ruby stared at him with a smirk. When Blake and Ren glanced at him, he looked away.

"That's irrelevant." He muttered, trying to play it off.

Blake rolled her eyes as Ren shook his head while sighing.

Ruby smirked and felt a cool wind rush through her hair. She turned to the forest again and looked upon it with new determined eyes. _'Mother… watch as I walk… my own path.'_

She turned back around to see Blake and Adam debating about quoting as Ren merely watched the two's debate. Ruby couldn't help but let a very faint smile crawl up her lips.

' _Thank you everyone.'_

Ruby felt that it was time to get it over with and cleared her throat which earned everyone's attention. "I… I think I am ready… to talk about my sister."

She inhaled a deep breath as Ren, Blake, and Adam waited in silence. Ruby closed her eyes and exhaled it sharply before beginning.

"Yang Xiao Long is my sister but… for you to understand her, you must know that… she is not my full blood sister."

"What do you mean?" asked Ren. Ruby rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

"My family tree is rather… complicated. And if it is alright, I would rather not go into detail about it."

No one objected and Ruby proceeded. "For starters, plain and simple… Yang is my half-sister from a different mother. And even though the nonexistent rule of _'love your sibling'_ is widely believed, it wasn't for me. You see Yang… never acted like a 'sister' to me."

Ruby sighed again. It was about to become difficult and she mentally prepared herself to relive the memories. "When we were young… Yang was… well… you could say she had a temper. After some… 'personal events' happened in her life, it forever changed her. She became an angry… or more troubled… child with an enormous amount of energy."

She narrowed her eyes at the ground. "Yang had a restless spirit. And eventually, she grew to be… dangerous. She would always get into trouble with the authorities, be involved with terrible fights, and even spent some time in juvenile hall." Ruby felt disappointment for her sister's reckless ways. "It was worse for me. I was her favorite toy."

"Her toy?" Adam repeated with a quirked eyebrow.

Ruby nodded, feeling slightly ashamed. "She used to bully me… a lot. She always did it behind my father's back and I can't blame her for having pain over… what happened to us."

"Bullying still does not justify her actions." Ren retorted.

"I know," Ruby replied. "I can never forgive her for taking her aggression out on me."

"How bad was it?" Blake asked.

"It got to the point where I hated her for it." Ruby said looking away. She spat on the ground and mentally cursed. "Every day, she took advantage of my young adolescent self. It started with minor teasing and jokes; but as the years went by, her jokes became harsh pranks and her teasing became… violent."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Violent?"

"Whenever she was angry, Yang would always want to… 'spar' with me, as she liked to call it. And whenever we did…. I never agreed."

Adam nodded in understanding. "She forced you to fight, knowing you were weaker than her. She took that opportunity to unleash her anger on anything, including you."

Ruby nodded and sighed. "Except not including me Adam… mostly me."

Adam did not reply this time and Ruby further elaborated.

"As the years went by the bullying got worse. She never stopped. She enjoyed embarrassing me in public. Making me feel less of myself, and even tried to abandon me a few times in the forest or city. It was hell… and I grew to hate her so much for it." Ruby clenched her teeth as her hands visibly balled into fists.

"Ruby," Ren called out. "If you do not want to continue then-"

"No, it's alright." Ruby interrupted. She took in a few deep breaths again and calmed down. "I'm alright."

Ren was still unsure, even Blake and Adam were uncertain. But neither three tried to fight her on the topic.

"Skipping to more recent events." Ruby muttered. "A few years ago, in the summer, Yang was angry over losing a fight. Throughout her life, she desired to become a great fighter. She may have been troubled but she wasn't idiotic… per say. She was smart both in academics and physical education. She studied various forms of martial arts and boxing. Even mastering them within a short amount of time."

"She was good?" Adam asked, slightly curious in the challenge.

"Very good." Ruby replied. "Eventually, she became one of the best in amateur boxing. Nearly a hundred matches undefeated until… her hundredth match. Rumors of her victory spree were large and many challengers came to try and end her. None succeeded…. except for this one girl from Atlas. What made things worse was how petite and short this girl was. She toyed with Yang all around the ring. She humiliated her… and knocked her out… she lost."

Adam, Blake, and Ren silently knew where this was heading. "When she came too, Yang was beyond infuriated… anyone near her… badly injured. She became very destructive with everything in her path. My father wasn't home at the time so he couldn't stop her… but when is he ever home?" Ruby scoffed the second part to herself.

"Where were you?" Blake asked. Ruby glanced at her and quickly looked away.

"I was home and Yang knew I was. I could hear her screaming my name in the forest. There was no hint of amusement, only anger and fury. I was terrified and hid under my bed. When she arrived home… she broke my door down and… and…" Ruby was slightly shaking. "dragged me into the woods."

Ren looked away. Blake and Adam silently envisioned the scene playing in their heads. "I can still remember seeing her blood red eyes… feeling her hand grip my hair so tightly that it could have ripped off my scalp. When she dragged me far enough… she let go and immediately 'spared' with me." Ruby closed her eyes attempting to withhold some tears fighting to come out.

Adam and Blake looked away to give Ruby some time to recollect herself. Ren shook his head in disappointment as he stared into the forest.

"She beat me until I was nothing more than a bloody pulp. I begged her to stop… I cried it, I screamed it… but nothing. When she was done, I was nearly unrecognizable. And… the thing is…" Ruby took in a deep breath knowing that this was the moment where they would never look at her the same.

"I actually died…."

Ren, Blake and, Adam simultaneously turned back to Ruby. All mouths dropped. Blake's eyes widened a little, Adam had a raised eyebrow, and Ren's face simply looked emotionless.

"I do not remember the details exactly. But I was told by the doctors that I was not breathing after Yang punched me one last time." Ruby momentarily touched her cheek remember how swollen her face was. "From what I was told, Yang was freaking out and was giving me CPR. Whether by a stroke of luck, or not, she managed to get a faint pulse back into my heart. She then rushed me towards the hospital."

Ruby rubbed the back of her head again. "When I came too, I was on a life support system and I could hear Yang screaming and crying outside my hospital room, begging to see me. I did not want to see her at the time and heard intense fighting and screams for security to stop her." Ruby walked over and leaned against the boulder.

"When I learned that my heart stopped beating for almost two minutes I couldn't believe it. I was in shock and traumatized that I couldn't speak to anyone for two months. When my father found out, he was beyond livid and almost beat Yang to death as well. She would most likely be dead now if my Uncle had not intervened."

Ruby decided to look up and noticed no one looking at her. She couldn't blame them. "After that ordeal, the doctor said I would make a full recovery with time and my father soon left on some missions. He would not be back until I recovered. But… had I arrived two minutes late, I would have been officially dead due to the heavy beating, lack of air, the swelling, and weak pulse. It was a miracle that I survived. But if I can be so bold as to say… it takes a lot more than that to kill me." Ruby chuckled weakly at her own joke. "I suppose I should be grateful to her for letting me live."

Adam had been calm the entire time but couldn't help feeling ashamed. This Yang Xiao Long reminded himself so much of how he used to be before Blake brought him back into the light. Cold, angry, and blood thirsty. _'Had I really been like that?'_ He thought.

Blake was currently speechless but kept herself well in line in terms of reacting. She had seen the worst of the worst in her dark past so it was nothing new. But the fact that a sibling would kill their own kin out of anger. Her thoughts immediately went to Adam and how he used to behave similarly to Ruby's sister. She shivered slightly, thinking if that was their future if she had failed to bring him back into the light with her.

Ren still maintained his zen demeanor but couldn't help feeling sympathy for Ruby. He had been treated like scum and dirt throughout his life; but even he had people who stood by him like family. They were the ones who kept him strong. Ruby's family wasn't even there and one almost got rid of her. He was truly disappointed with how cruel people can truly be, even among their own flesh and blood.

"After that day," Ruby continued. "Yang was sentenced to juvenile hall for and to be transferred into the adult penitentiary when she reached 18 for life in prison. But I was able to persuade and convince the judge o let her go after two years with an expensive bail."

This shocked Ren, Adam, and Blake. Blake crossed her arms and looked Ruby dead in the eyes.

"Why did you bail her out." Blake asked. "She hurt you."

"She bullied you." Said Ren.

"She killed you." Adam added.

Ruby merely shrugged while averting her eyes towards the grass. "Because it was the right thing to do."

She turned back and revealed a little smile. Not one of happiness, but of sadness. "She may have committed many sins… to others, to myself… but like I said… she was troubled like me. She committed most of the sins to herself."

Ruby sighed and the smile faded. "I can never forgive her… but I don't want to see her rot and become worse. Not if there was a chance for me to stop it. Since then, Yang had come to a few agreements that I and the federal prison decided. In time, she was able to learn control over her anger from the managements we set up. She was under intensive counseling and therapy which helped talk about her problems. She also focused more on her training and instead used her abilities to do odd jobs for clients. In my opinion… I believe she was reaching a good level to become a better person."

Ruby gently rubbed her arm as she looked away again. "After she was released, she wouldn't stop with the apologies and tears. She actually broke one of my ribs after giving me a hug right after being released. She completely changed and the once untamable fire that she had was quelled into… a calming flame I suppose."

Ruby smiled to herself as she turned and gazed at the Emerald Forest. "While I am glad for her change… the pain is still there." She reached for her heart and gently held it with both her hands. "And it will never go away. But it is a reminder of what should never happen again."

Ruby lowered her hands and closed her eyes. "However, even now with her new change, Yang still can't stop torturing me."

"She still bullies you?" Ren asked.

Ruby raised an eyebrow and turned to the long haired boy. "No… not bully…I'm afraid something worse."

"I'm sorry?" Ren asked confusedly. Blake and Adam were also having trouble understanding.

"She does torture me." Ruby explained. "However… she does something far worse than bullying could ever do." She looked away and sighed. Her facial expression showed nothing but depression.

"What does she do?" Adam asked.

Ruby shifted awkwardly. "She… she…"

She sighed as Adam, Blake, and Ren all leaned a little closer with curiosity.

"She annoys me."

"…"

"…"

'…"

"What?!" asked Blake with a confused look. She was unsure if she heard that correctly.

"She… she annoys me." Ruby repeated. "In the very recent years, Yang became a bubbly social butterfly. She never leaves me alone whenever she comes home. She even tries to follow me to my favorite spots in the woods. And those spots were meant to avoid her."

Ruby looked annoyed. "It got worse, she tried countless times to give me make overs, teach me how to flirt, and she is such a pervert! And I am not exaggerating, she is a huge pervert! She tried taking me to a male strip club once to teach me anatomy!"

Ruby's face was growing red with anger. "And her puns… those stupid, idiotic, ridiculous puns! It is nothing but hell and it is beyond torture!"

Ren, Blake and Adam were dumbfounded by how Ruby was acting.

"She bullied you…" Adam started slowly. "She beat you, and even killed you… and you dislike her because she annoys you?"

He did not know whether to be amazed or confused. Ruby awkwardly shrugged and nodded.

"That's right."

Adam stayed silent and Ren cleared his throat.

"How are you so accepting of her killing you and yet only hate how she annoys you?"

Ruby pondered this question for a few seconds and simply shrugged. "I said I would never forgive her. But in all honesty… I thought it was an interesting experience to be dead." Ruby said some hesitation.

She could feel the blank stares. "What? I was always fascinated by death and now that I can say I died, I feel as if I have achieved a new level of understanding it."

There was no response, no retort to be made, or a word to be uttered. The only sound heard was the winds gentle swaying.

' _Is it really that weird?'_ Ruby wondered, and then she noticed something. Ren was smiling a little.

"Ruby," he said with an amused tone in his voice. "You really are an interesting person."

He wasn't the only one. Ruby saw that Blake and Adam were also smiling a little.

"Not a lot of people can say they died and came back." said Blake. She crossed her arms and sighed. "I as well have a curiosity towards death so I do not think it is weird."

Adam merely nodded as he fixed his shades. "There is one thing I want to ask Ruby."

Ruby glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?" she asked.

"Should we see her as a threat." He asked and gripped his sword tightly.

"Adam!" Blake said with a sharp tone and turned to him.

"No its alright." Ruby raised her hand up reassuringly.

She glanced at Adam's sword and then looked at everyone else. They each had serious expressions. It was understandable for them to be cautious after what they have been told.

She quietly prepared her answer. She did not want to be the reason for Yang to make enemies. It would not be fair and it would make things complicated. Even if she didn't like her sister all that much, she wanted her to start over with a clean slate.

"The only thing I can tell you… "She started. "Is to judge her for yourself. I will not say whether she is good or bad. I, myself, am no excuse to that topic. But the way I judged her was from her actions of the past and how she treats me now. Only because I lived through it. None of you did. And none of you have met her yet so I will leave it to each of you to make up your own minds. Also do not use what I have told you about her past to judge her. None of you know her so that is why I merely ask of you all to judge her in the here and now rather than what happened years ago."

Ruby turned to Adam and stared into his sunglasses. "Is that a sufficing answer for you?"

Adam eased his grip on his swords case and nodded. "Noted and acceptable Little Red."

Ruby nodded. "If it is the same to you all, I'd rather keep what I told you a secret from my sister. You are all the first group of people I ever told and I would rather leave it like that." Everyone nodded in unison. "And do not worry. The past is the past and I am not letting it affect me anymore."

Ruby gave a small smile. "So let's move on. I feel a lot like myself again."

Blake, Ren, and Adam smiled back and left the topic of Yang Xiao Long.

"What is that over there?" Ren asked pointing to a silver, rectangular flat item imprinted on the ground. He immediately noticed it after their conversation. It laid only a few yards away to the right of them and was hidden by a few bushes.

"Let's find out." Said Ruby and led the way.

The group walked past the few bushes and discovered there wasn't just one, but many. Each one held the insignia of Beacon Academy engraved in the center of their surface.

Ren noticed how evenly spaced out they were and Adam counted them.

"There are twenty-five." He muttered.

Blake kneeled down and felt the surface. The concrete was cold to the touch but smooth. She then put two and two together. "There are supposed to be twenty-five of us meeting here."

"And this is the coordinates for our exam." Added Ren.

Ruby crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the concrete surface. "My Uncle Qrow did mention something about platforms being used in initiation. I believe these could be the ones he was referring to."

"Then we are to take one platform each for ourselves?" Ren commented.

"It looks that way." Replied Blake who continued to feel the platform's surface.

Adam checked his scroll and nodded. "It is almost time to start. Other students will soon be upon us."

"At least we have first choice. Blake said with a shrug.

"Indeed." Ruby said and wasted no time in choosing the very last platform on the right. Next to her, Adam walked over and stood to her left followed by Ren and then Blake.

As the minutes passed, students started arriving just as Adam said. Some came in pairs, others in small groups, and few came individually in between.

Ruby eyed every student who passed her carefully; studying their weapons, looks, and outfits. Anything that could be a clear sign of their combat levels and abilities.

Among the arrivals, Ruby spotted several familiar faces including the blonde haired boy who vomited when they first arrived. She remembered hearing his name from the red head next to him who continuously addressed him as Jaune.

The red head herself was in fact a celebrity known as Pyrrha Nikos who Ruby vaguely remembered from her competitions in Mistral. She cared very little for her fame and was only interested in Pyrrha's skill as a warrior. She hoped to spar with her one day now that they were in Beacon together.

Ruby noticed the two walking with a third person behind them and dread crawled through her system when she saw who it was. Someone second only to Yang in terms of annoyance. And when that person spotted Ruby, she immediately walked up to her.

"Hello… Schnee." Ruby hesitantly greeted.

"Rose…" said the white haired girl and glared.

"Fancy meeting you… again."

Weiss crossed her arms. "When I saw your name on the list I thought I was reading it wrong."

Ruby crossed hers as well and narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that Schnee?"

Weiss smirked. "Oh just wondering how the school didn't correct the mistake they made on the list."

"If you have something to say, you better say it to my face now." Ruby glared.

Weiss accepted the challenge. "If you insist." She took another step closer to Ruby. "I think you being here is still a mistake Ruby Rose."

Ruby stepped closer as well. They were so close that their noses were almost touching. "Well I think I do belong here."

Weiss stopped smirking and glared. "You're still a child and you lack coordination. You are nothing but a complete dunce. And I have not forgotten about what you said about my family yesterday! So you can be sure that I will be keeping a close eye on you."

Ruby smirked. "I didn't know you liked me that much Snow Angel."

Weiss stammered a bit and blushed faintly. "Do not call me Snow Angel! I already get that enough from tall, blonde, and scraggly over there." She pointed to Jaune who turned to the two in surprise and a bit embarrassed.

Ruby glanced at him and Jaune waved awkwardly. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "That must have been… too close."

"You have no idea." Weiss muttered. She let out a small gasp and then snapped back to glaring at Ruby.

"Hey don't act like we are friends! I do not like you nor do I trust you!" Weiss poked Ruby's breast with her finger.

Ruby looked down and smirked. "Well at least this child seems to have more meat on her body than your washboard chest."

Weiss was appalled and her face started to redden with anger. "Like I care about breast sizes!" she growled in frustration. "I do not trust you and I never will!"

Ruby swiped Weiss' hand away with annoyance. "Well that makes two of us. Trust is a two-way street."

Weiss fumed. "Ugh! You are such an annoyance! I-"

Before Weiss could finish responding, Ren walked in between the two.

"Is there something wrong Ruby?" He asked and turned to the red hooded girl. "I sensed a disturbance. Are you and this woman fighting?"

Ruby glanced at him and shook her head. "No we are not Yoda, I was just having a friendly little chat with Schnee here."

Ruby turned back to Weiss only to discover that she was no longer focusing on her. Instead she was intensely staring at Ren.

' _Why is she staring at him.'_ Ruby thought _._ It was then that she noticed small tints of red on Weiss' cheeks not of anger but from fluster. _'A blush?... no I don't believe it…'_ Ruby thought in amusement.

"Hello there." Ren turned to Weiss and smiled. "What is your name?"

Weiss snapped out of her staring trance and regained her composure. "S-schnee. I-I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee dust company!" Weiss announced with pride and slight hesitation. _'Who is this gentleman.'_

Ruby smirked maliciously. "The same company that-"

"Do. Not. Finish. That. Sentence." Weiss growled and then turned to Ren in an almost giddy state. "And who might you be?"

Ren smiled and bowed. "My name is Lie Ren but please just call me Ren. The pleasure is mine Miss Schnee." Instantly Ren raised Weiss' hand and gently kissed her forehand.

Weiss blushed blood red and stuttered for a second. "Y-you are such a charmer Mr. Ren."

' _Oh this is too rich.'_ Thought Ruby.

Ren was internally confused by what she meant but smiled warmly as he did not want to appear disrespectful

"Thank you. Miss Schnee" Ren said.

"Please call me Weiss." She insisted.

"Alright… Weiss, while it was pleasant conversing with you, I do believe we should take our positions on the platforms. The test will soon be upon us and I apologize if Ruby has caused you any trouble.

Ruby saw the hint of disappointment in Weiss' eyes so she thought to worsen it. She calmly lifted Ren's arm up so that it was resting on her shoulder. The sudden body contact did not sit well with Weiss and Ruby noticed it with pleasure. She nuzzled herself more into Ren's body and almost laughed by how red Weiss was turning. She will be having much more fun with this later.

Ren was observing Ruby the entire time and was confused as to why she lifted his arm up. She wasn't even looking at him and instead her focus was on Weiss. He then glanced at the white haired girl and noticed how red she was turning.

' _I hope she isn't getting sick; it could greatly affect her actions during the test._

Although angry, Weiss glanced away from Ruby and towards Ren. Instantly, her anger was quelled and she smiled while trying her best to look presentable to him. She had never seen such a perfect specimen of manliness before and it made her heart race. Such flawless pale skin, beautiful pink eyes that glimmered under the sunlight, and that long flowing black hair. She shivered in delight. He was absolutely stunning and looked tough wearing all black, like a vampire. Her heart hadn't raced this much since the time when she read her sister's book _'Twilight.'_ Which she made sure no one finds out about. And also… she had a huge case of yellow fever… which again no one must ever know.

Clearing her thoughts, Weiss shook her head and then stared into Ren's eyes. "Oh Mr. Ren do not apologize for that… person. You have done no wrong but you do bring up a valid point. I guess I will see you later on in the forest. Please take care." She bowed to Ren and took a second to glare at Ruby who smirked triumphantly as the white haired girl left with a sway in her hips. Perhaps to try and get Ren's attention.

After Weiss walked away Ruby immediately got out from under Ren's arm and gently patted his shoulder. "Nice work there Ren."

She immediately walked back to her spot and said nothing more.

Ren raised an eyebrow "No… problem?" he replied unsure. "Why do I feel like I am involved in something… complicated?"

' _Women are very confusing.'_ He thought and returned to his spot.

Blake and Adam, who were silently watching the whole conundrum, looked at each other and then turned away.

' _Good luck Ren.'_ They thought in unison.

Several minutes passed and something was bothering Ruby. Her senses felt a strange feeling around her. It was not one of danger but something abnormal no less. Almost as if she were being watched.

Calmly, Ruby glanced around at all the students on her left. None of them seemed to be noticing her but she was still unsure as to why she felt watched.

Then out of nowhere, a flash caused her to squint her eyes shut for a second. Ruby blinked a few times trying to get rid of the dizziness she received before spotting where the flash came from. It was from a girl standing on her own a little away from Ruby. She noticed that the girl had been holding out her scroll in the direction of Ruby with no intention of hiding it.

She was a slightly tall girl standing at around 5'10' with light pink hair that was styled with long hair in the back and short bangs in the front. She had a fair skin tone with an athletic build that looked perfect for mobility rather than strength. She wore a set of dark grey jeans tucked into black steel toed boots with a black shirt covered in brown leather armor. She wore a scarlet red long coat that reached her shins that was buckled down to her stomach.

Ruby had not seen this girl before but knew her name was on the list though she cared very little. The unknown girl raised her scroll up again and a flashed irrupted from the camera frame. She had taken another photo of Ruby.

Ruby raised an eyebrow as the girl gave a two finger salute to her and walked away. She had no idea why that girl had done that but she didn't care at the moment.

As everyone around her made small talk, Ruby decided to listen in on other conversations in hopes of gathering useful information. However much proved to be worthless until one topic poked some interest.

"Is it true? Will there really be teams?"

"That's what I heard from one of the upperclassmen. But when I asked him he said he said couldn't say anything."

"But there've been rumors about teams before."

"I thought the teams were simply pairings."

"Actually, I think I heard the teams are comprised of four students each."

' _Teams huh'_ Ruby thought. _'I remember Uncle Qrow mention something about teams. But there was something more…'_

"Students line up on each one of the individual platforms now!" boomed a loud female voice.

Ruby turned to see none other than Glynda Goodwitch marching up the incline with her crop in one hand and a data pad in the other.

As the students all got into positions, each taking up a single platform, Ruby noticed something very peculiar.

While Goodwitch was busy scolding a brute of a man in beige armor swinging his mace around, Ruby quickly looked at all the platforms. It was then she noticed the last one all the way of the left, empty. And then it hit her.

' _Where's Yang?'_

 **And thus the sixth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **P.S. Thank you all for your growing support and thank you for your patience. I do hope to see some FAN ART FROM THIS ON DEVIANT ART!**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	10. Chapter 7

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the seventh chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S. A special thanks to Darkmewshadowmon for becoming the 200** **th** **follower and the 150** **th** **person to favorite. Also a special thanks to Inkly for becoming the 100** **th** **person to review.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Littlest1: You were right in assuming how I portrayed Yang. I was acting carefully in the topic since it was a sensitive one. I do not want people to entirely hate Yang but more like understand what put her and Ruby in their positions in the first place. While it is difficult writing Yang as a non-comedic icon at first, I did feel it made sense with how she was always quick to anger in the canon series. So it fit perfectly win this story as it showed how darker and harsher Yang could have been if she let her anger take over. However, I do look forward to your reactions to how Ruby and Yang interact.**

 **To Guest: Yang will show up on this chapter. Also I would never lead you astray in this story. I only look forward to your reactions on what is to come. Thank you as well for understanding my reason for Ruby's answer to Adam's question. It had to have made sense with her character and the trauma she received. Also as for why I decided to play with Weiss and Ren is because it connects with Ruby's growing rivalry with Weiss and of course humor always helps to lighten some heavy moments. And let's be honest, Jaune receives so much pairings with everyone while Ren is usually left out so why not give him some light every now and then. Especially with his bluntness with people skills here.**

 **To Ishkahrhil: I'm glad I didn't have too many errors. I was proof reading fast and I guess I let a few things slip. I'll be sure to take care of anymore s on a slower pace. And Thank you for continuing to help with my grammar. And I hope you steel yourself for what is to come when Ruby and Yang do interact before your eyes.**

 **To Ladygoddess8: I love your observation, thoughts and, ideas on Yang with how you viewed the previous chapter. I could reveal to you how I have everything played out in my head but that would be destroying the reaction you'll have with the continuation of the story. What I have planned for Yang will be something, that I can only hope, leaves you with an exclaimed reaction. And yes, the reason for Beacons entrance difficulty is because of what Goodwitch said in the second season "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world", wouldn't it make sense for Beacon to only want the best of the best. I cannot wait to see what your reaction will be with what I have planned for Weiss.**

 **To Inkly: I'm glad you enjoyed the sneak preview of that character as well as the interaction of Ruby, Weiss, and Ren. As to your wondering of Yang, that will be explained momentarily. Thanks for sticking by and I can't wait to hear what you have to say next.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: Good to see you again.**

 **To Endlesschains: In honesty, I originally didn't know what I wanted to write about for the special. But a friend of mine sent me a photo that made me think of a great little story for Ruby. Hell I wrote that special in one sitting after I saw that photo and the words came so natural to me. I'm glad you liked it.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the stor**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 7: Yang

"Well then, after all that I have told you. Are we clear… Mr. Winchester?"

Professor Goodwitch tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for a response.

Cardin Winchester, a male student with short orange-brown hair, scoffed as he flexed his overly muscular arms. He straightened himself up, making his height reach almost 6'5 ft. in length and looked bulkier in his beige plated armor.

He didn't respond at first until seeing Professor Goodwitch glaring at him. He noticed that her crop was glowing slightly yellow and that was something he did not want to deal with now or ever.

With a short sneer, Cardin nodded, a little apprehensively, and slowly started to retract his large black mace onto his back where it magnetically stuck with ease. He turned to the professor and raised his hands up with a shrug as he tilted his head to the side.

"There, gone. Happy now?" He asked, a little annoyed.

"Quite. Now fall into line." Ordered Goodwitch as she pointed to Mr. Winchesters position on the far left.

With slight resistance, Cardin obeyed while grumbling to himself and mentally cursed Goodwitch. He took his positon on his platform and crossed his arms while giving a hard stare to the professor which went ignored. With the brute of a man settled. Goodwitch nonchalantly turned to the other students, who all had eyes on her, waiting patiently for their orders.

"Let this be a first lesson to the rest of you, courtesy of myself. The phrase "patience is a virtue" seems to still prove difficult to obtain for the young, eager, and… simple students."

"Hey!" Cardin shouted with some irritation.

A few students silently chuckled but some stopped as the brute turned to them with his teeth clenched and growled. A few of the students looked away, others still laughed and Jaune looked paler than death.

"Now settle down you lot!" Goodwitch ordered and silence returned along with everyone facing the front again. "Good." The professor nodded, "Now stay that way. Your instructor will be with you shortly."

She no longer paid the students any mind and immediately started typing away on her data pad. She was a little behind schedule with making sure there were no other problems with the other sections. Goodwitch let out an irritated sigh. She shouldn't even have to be doing last minute work if it were not for the headmaster's decision. Accepting more students than last year was a mistake in itself as it brakes tradition and just causes unnecessary hope for those who would not be able to stay. Personally she didn't care for tradition but she was a little annoyed with having to make renovations to the exam today.

As she continued to type, many of the students were standing around with confused looks. Each had the same thought plague their minds: _'She isn't our instructor? Then who is?'_ Most were tempted or wanted to ask, but they were either too afraid, or just didn't care enough to ask.

A few minutes passed and the silence seemed to grow a little tense. A few students were shifting around awkwardly from standing still. A few were growing bored and some were trying to cool down from the sun's heat. Finally, someone couldn't hold it in for much longer and their hand flew up to ask what everyone else thought.

"Yes Miss Nikos?" Goodwitch acknowledged without looking away from her data pad. She could already guess what the question was. All eyes turned to the Pyrrha.

"I'm sorry Professor but… are you not our instructor?" She asked, almost a little hesitant at first.

Goodwitch stopped typing and sighed. Someone was bound to ask eventually, although she honestly wished that no one did really. She rubbed her temples when she thought of their instructor. The man was wise but he has not changed since she had met him all those years ago.

Slowly she glanced at the all students who seemed very interested in Pyrrha's question. She closed her eyes and sighed again while lowering her data pad. "I am not your instructor…" She said and glanced around the line of students "but he asked me to keep an eye on you since he will be running a little… late." She rolled her eyes, and felt a minor headache trying to fight its way through.

Ruby raised an eyebrow as she vaguely heard the professor mumbling to herself. Something along the lines of irresponsible, low on coffee and, requiring immediate attention. It did not make much sense, not that she expected it too.

' _Is she talking about our instructor? Just who is it?'_ Ruby wondered.

As she continued to ponder the thought, Blake decided to use this chance to inspect all the students in her section, minus those she already knew of. At first glance, most of them didn't look all too interesting. Some looked absolutely normal, a few not so much.

But she was wiser than to let her eyes deceive her. A warrior never underestimates their enemy; no matter the appearance. While some looked physically weaker than others, she had met formidable foes in the past who easily fooled her during her rookie years in combat. Even someone as clumsy looking as that Jaune fellow could easily be hiding some sort of power he has yet to reveal.

Thinking about it, Blake glanced at Jaune, studying him. Out of all the others, he looked physically the weakest. Tall, lanky, seems utterly clumsy, and even gives off the impression that the boy needs a sense of guidance. If he were acting to portray the weakest, then he was certainly doing a good job at it.

But the one who looked the weakest is often hiding something. Something that could be deadly or impressive. She watched as he tried to flex a bicep towards Weiss in hopes of grabbing her attention. She rolled her eyes as his flexing only failed in him nearly tripping off of his platform and playing it cool when he thought no one was watching.

' _Perhaps… I was wrong.'_ She thought and shook her head.

She eyes soon fell upon the girl Jaune was trying to impress, Weiss Schnee. From what she can tell, the blonde was infatuated with the heiress for some unknown reason and she knew he would most likely fail in obtaining her. It was already a losing war from the start, especially against a Schnee.

Blake narrowed her eyes at the white haired girl. A slight hint of anger arose through her before it immediately quelled. In her younger years, she had spent a great deal learning of the Schnee Dust Company and their connections with using Faunus as cheap labor force.

All the projects they made them do were absolutely atrocious, not to mention dangerous. She remembered finding an old file containing a list of names of Faunus that were deceased because of the projects being done for the company. There were so many which broke her heart. The Faunus were not treated like valuable employees; they were their handymen, and always reminded them that they were expendable. It was just another way of calling them slaves.

The Schnee's history of subjugation against the Faunus was long and old, even before the war had taken place. Schnees were the vilest corporation to ever rise to success because of their negative ways and they should repent for what they have done.

Blake realized that she had been glaring at Weiss with trembling hands. She quickly looked away and sighed. That was her anger thinking and she calmed herself down by taking in a few deep breaths. This was the influence of her dark past, how easy it was for those she worked for to feed her rage and anger so she could do their bidding. She frowned at herself for how easy it was to believe them. They were so very misguided by anger that they lost their way.

She glanced back at Weiss, she didn't know her personally and, in truth, didn't hate her for having a name she strongly disliked. Her personality, however, was a different story. Never in her life had Blake met such an angry and stuck up person. Her reasons for hating Ruby also seemed a bit hypocritical but that was not her business. Ruby seemed like she could deal with her well and she left it at that.

Throughout her life, Blake had met people who were irritations and annoyances to her. However, none were quite on par with Weiss' behavior. She examined the heiress' face. Strong, stern, and ready for anything. But when she looked closely, Blake could always see a faint glimpse of familiarity in the heiress' eyes. Sadness that gleamed just a bit from her pupils.

"Are you alright?"

Blake perked up by the sudden voice and she dropped her thoughts. She turned to see Ren glancing at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." She replied, trying to mask the emotions she was feeling from her thoughts. "Why do you ask?"

Ren shrugged. "You were looking at the other students. I was merely curious as to why."

Blake nodded, internally pleased that she wasn't entirely caught. "I was… observing them." it was true for the most part. She did not want to admit to focusing mostly on Weiss and she had learned that the best form of lying is one that is closer to the truth.

Ren was silent for a second, then nodded. "What did you learn?" he asked with a little interest.

Blake glanced back at the other students. "They all seem rather… mundane. But it is best not to underestimate them."

Ren nodded again. "I was thinking the same. Anyone here could be a challenge."

"He is right." Adam said, interrupting the two. "It would be best not to underestimate anyone. Not even Little Red."

Blake folded her arms and nodded in agreement. "Ruby has entered Beacon earlier than she should have. So I do not doubt her skills."

At the sound of her name, Ruby's ears perked up. "Did one of you call me?" She asked, with a quirked eyebrow, looking at the others.

Adam turned to Ruby and shook his head. "Blake here was simply acknowledging your skills and thought you would be a challenge to deal with."

Blake gave Adam a blunt look. "Leave it to you to manipulate my words into something else Adam." she sighed causing Adam to raise an eyebrow.

"I was just repeating what you said."

"Not in the correct way."

Ruby stared at Blake and then to the boys. After a few seconds she turned away. "Thank you for acknowledging my skills Blake. However," Ruby turned back and smirked. "whatever this test holds, you will all still lose to me. Simple as that."

Adam raised an eyebrow and a faint smirk appeared on his lips as the feeling of a challenge excited him. "So the Little Red prodigy here thinks she can beat me."

Ruby only replied with a nod as she and Adam got into each other's faces.

"I'm afraid I will not let that happen Ruby." Ren said earning the red hooded girl's attention. "I will see to it that I am the victor."

Blake shook her head. "Do you hear yourselves." She asked and everyone turned to her. "Because you are all forgetting that I will not be outdone by any of you."

Ruby, Ren, Adam, and Blake all stared at each other as the feeling of a competition flared around them. None wanted to be outdone and the rush of a challenge was tempting and too good to pass up.

"Students please quiet down! Your instructor is here!"

Everyone instantly went silent and the competitive atmosphere was gone and returned to normal.

Everyone faced forward and heard the crunching of leaves coming from the slope where they came from. No one could resist and turned to see a man walking up to their location. Some went wide eyed, a few didn't care but several girls were blushing.

Ruby looked over nonchalantly and went slightly wide eyed a she was greeted by the sight of Professor Ozpin walking passed her with his cane in one hand and the usual mug of coffee in the other. The steam was still rising and evaporating into the air as he took a small sip when he finally stopped next to Professor Goodwitch who looked a little annoyed when he greeted her.

Surprised was an understatement to what Ruby was feeling. She had expected a regular instructor or a volunteer supervisor to oversee their exam, but never the headmaster himself. Either this was a high honor, or this could be a great challenge.

There were some whispers and small gasps coming from several of the students. She turned to the left and noticed a long brown haired girl, with the left side of her head shaved close to the scalp heavily blushing. She also noticed the ice queen, as well, slightly blushing. The Schnee was straightening herself in full attention, completely forgetting everything around her as she stared at the headmaster like some lord or savior. _'Even Schnee… I will never understand their attraction to him. Still, I have to know why he's here.'_

Almost instantly, Ruby took a step forward and raised her hand high so that the professors could see her.

"Yes Ms. Rose?" Ozpin acknowledged and turned to the her, offering a small smile.

"I mean no disrespect when I ask this headmaster but..." Ruby cleared her throat. "Why are you our instructor?" She looked Ozpin dead in the eye when she asked.

"How rude!"

Ruby rolled her eyes at the sound of Weiss' voice. She ignored it and continued to look at the headmaster, waiting for an answer.

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and smiled again. He turned to Professor Goodwitch who looked slightly away while crossing her arms.

"Your question is a good one Ms. Rose." He said, turning to the rest of the students. "I know some of you were wondering the same thing. After all, it is unusual, even rare, for a headmaster to personally oversee an exam… unless under special circumstances."

"Is that what this is then?" Ruby asked as she folded her arms. "A special circumstance?"

The headmaster nodded. "Correct." He took another sip and sighed almost happily. "You see Ms. Rose; every year I oversee Alpha section for a specific reason."

Ruby was getting slightly intrigued and raised an eyebrow. "Which is what?"

"Why… to observe the performances of the students I personally selected." That response caught Ruby slightly off guard but she didn't let it show on her face. A few students began whispering excitedly to each other as well.

Ozpin shushed everyone gently and continued as he glanced at his twenty-five selected students. "Each and every one of you has either shown me potential or has peaked my interest in one way or another. And it is for that reason why you are all here. And I would like to inform you all, that this is the only section that is handpicked by any professor."

A few of the students began to mumble while Ruby glanced at Weiss. She was hoping to see a distraught face upon hearing what the headmaster said. SHE was handpicked by the headmaster. SHE has shown him potential, meaning SHE was meant to be here.

To her disappointment, Weiss was completely oblivious to what happened before the professor's arrival, and was too busy smiling to herself with pride. That, and she was too busy staring at the headmaster with gleaming eyes, completing forgetting Ruby's existence at the moment.

' _It doesn't matter now.'_ Ruby thought. _'At least I have more ammunition to use.'_ She thought.

"However," Ozpin continued. "Do not let this affect your decisions and judgments. Simply because I select you does not make you better than anyone else. Warriors spends years of their lives and even move into death without becoming the best. Seeking to become the best is only an excuse to seek glory for your name. If you are to become a hunter, if you truly desire to become a hunter… then you must understand." The headmaster was no longer smiling. His tone was serious, and he glanced at each one of his students, saving Ruby for last glance.

"This occupation is a thankless job with yours, and others, lives on the line. You are to become the guardians of Remnant and all her people. You will see things you do not want to see, and you will live ways you never believed you would. We are not here to make you the best. We are here to guide you and make you truly believe whether you have what it takes or not. I say this because your persona is your greatest enemy to defeat. If you can conquer your doubts, then you are capable of anything. Does that answer your question Ms. Rose?"

Ruby was silent for a moment. The way the headmaster spoke reminder her so much of her uncle Qrow and… her mother. Noticing she had yet to respond, she snapped out of her thoughts and nodded slowly. _'His philosophy is… incredible.'_

Some girls couldn't help but squeal at how cool Professor Ozpin was, Weiss' heart was racing and she took everything he said to heart.

' _Oh goodness, he is just amazing. Him and Mr. Ren. Oh the two of them… and me… wait! Stop that disgracing thought! You are a Schnee! Have some dignity!'_

As Weiss was arguing with… herself, Ozpin turned back to Ruby who hadn't moved from her position. "Would you kindly take your position, Ms. Rose."

Ruby looked down and realized what he meant. "Yes sir… apologies." With a small bow, she moved back onto her platform and waited silently for him to continue.

"Good," he turned to Professor Goodwitch. "Now Glynda, would you please do an attendance to make sure everyone is here." Ozpin asked and smiled to his trust worthy assistant.

The professor nodded as she looked away from him and tapped a couple keys into her data pad. "When I call your name please acknowledge and respond immediately" She said and proceeded.

"Naomi Morginstern!"

"H-here!"

"Sky Lark!"

"Yeah."

"Lie Ren"

"Here."

As the attendance continued, Ruby was looking around the area. She was expecting to see a blinding flash of blonde hair or hear a booming high pitched voice any second now. But there was none to be seen anywhere, and they were already late as it was.

Ruby looked in the direction of the grassy slope. She found it odd was for Yang to be registered as a student but never truly seen in orientation. Nor has she heard of Yang going to any testing facilities. And on top of that, she has not been home at all and now not here in initiation.

"Ruby Rose!"

Ruby turned to the professor and slightly raised her arm. "Here." She said softly and Goodwitch continued on. She turned back to the slope and still saw nothing.

' _Where are you Yang?'_

After another minute has passed, almost all of the students had been called until one name remained.

"Yang Xiao Long!"

There was no response.

"Yang Xiao Long!" said the professor, a little louder than the last.

Goodwitch looked up and scanned the area. She noticed the one empty platform all the way to her far left hand side.

She sighed heavily and fixed her glasses.

"That girl better have a good reason for being tardy." She mumbled.

Professor Goodwitch clicked on Yang's name and a picture, along with some information, popped up.

' _Oh…her.'_ Glynda mentally said. And felt a minor headache again.

She remembered this one. A student who could only be described as a walking, talking, hot-headed ball of energy. Yang Xiao-Long certainly made sure to be remembered in the short interview she had with Glynda. When applying for Beacon, all students went through a short 10-minute interview before they were permitted to take any of Beacon's entrance exams. When they first met, Yang made it crystal clear that she was a loud, energetic girl, who simply was not quiet or shy. It was an interview, Professor Goodwitch would not forget in a long while.

"Where is Yang Xiao-Long?" the professor asked and glanced at all the students. Several heads shook side to side, a few began to look around and, some simply shrugged and muttered, "I don't know" or "beats me". The professor shook her head.

"Very well" she sighed. "If Yang Xiao Long is not present then I would have no choice but to disqualify her from Beacon."

Ruby stiffened up and didn't know how she felt by that. A part of her felt relieved, another felt uncomfortable, and a small part felt pity. While it would not be a bad thing for Yang to not be in the same school as her, but having to be disqualified for not even being present would be such a waste. A waste that Ruby could not imagine Yang doing. However, seeing as how Yang wasn't even around the entire time it couldn't be helped, could it?

' _Yang, you've never been late to something important before. I don't want to see you fail like this but… I am sorry if it comes to it. Your actions are no longer my responsibility. I am sorry.'_

"Now, now Glynda." Ozpin interjected. He smiled and placed a hand on his assistant's shoulder. "Let's not be so rash. I'm sure she will turn up soon. Perhaps she is already on her way." He gestured. "After all, it is a big school and we do have many new students who know very little of the grounds yet."

Goodwitch wanted to interject but resisted when he smiled and looked into her eyes. Against Ozpin, there is no winning an argument so she merely nodded in agreement while looking away.

"Fine," she huffed. "But if she doesn't turn up soon then I am sorry to say she will be-"

"HERE!"

The booming voice startled some of the students causing a few jumps and gasps as everyone turned in multiple directions. The voice was loud and echoed all over the place. Ruby looked around with narrowed eyes, she recognized that mezzo-soprano voice anywhere.

' _You are here... sister.'_

No matter how hard one looked, no one was able to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. That was until a student shouted, "Look up there" to which everyone did.

At first Ruby saw nothing. Then she spotted a bright flash of long, blonde hair flailing madly with the wind and a body coming down towards her and the other students.

' _Yang… you can't be serious.'_ Ruby thought and braced herself.

In less than a second the body smashed into the ground, feet first, pushing the dirt, and grass inward, creating a small crater that nearly swallowed the person's body up to her upper legs. When the free faller landed, the impact created a large amount of dust clouds that quickly filled the air, and swallowed everyone up. A few students had to shield their eyes from the shrapnel of split rocks and dirt spitting out. Others were slightly coughing and spat out dust particles they accidentally inhaled.

"Glynda if you please."

With a flick of the wrist, Professor Goodwitch swapped her crop once and the dust started clearing thanks to a cool gust of wind. Once the dust was officially clear, all eyes fell onto the person in the crater to reveal who caused it.

It was a teenage girl wearing a tan vest over a yellow low-cut tank top with a black crest that resembled a burning heart. The vest had puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs and on the sides of the cuffs, were two small golden buttons. The girl also wore a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest was on the banner, except it was golden in color. For pants she wore black short shorts under her belt, which resembled a pleated skirt in the back. Over the short shorts but under the belt was a white asymmetrical back skirt that slightly swayed with the wind. Aside from an orange infinity scarf around her neck, the girl has no discernible jewelry or accessories. She wore brown knee-high platform leathered boots with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also had a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She also wore a pair of fingerless black gloves underneath what Ruby recognized as the familiar two yellow mechanized gauntlets with a black design painted.

The new female comer calmly took a few steps out of the crater. She took off the lightly shaded sunglasses she had been wearing and gave a full 360 look at her surroundings. Some students were awed, others were surprised and a few were… drooling with a couple blushing. The girl's body was the spitting image of a swimsuit model and her short shorts and tank top didn't hide that fact. Her breasts were large, round and symmetrical, an hourglass body that was treated like a temple, and long curly blond hair that looked healthy and soft. It even seemed to bring out her lilac eyes.

This confirmed it and Ruby couldn't deny it even if she wanted to. It was Yang Xiao Long in the flesh. Absent from her life for a couple months, and dreadfully, back into her life.

Ruby raised her hood up, letting it fall over her eyes. She wanted to hide and not be noticed by Yang but knew it was impossible. Because the girl literally landed right in front of her spot. And when she exited the crater, Ruby could faintly feel her breath. She could sense Yang looking at her, towering her with their height difference.

This didn't faze her to fear her. Years ago it did, but not now. Ruby sighed and looked up, staring deep into those all too familiar lilac eyes.

It had been a couple months since they last spoke and Yang had some minor differences. Her hair had grown longer down past her hips and a little over her buttocks. She wore less jewelry and those boots were new.

But what remained the same, and annoyed Ruby the most, was that signature, goofy grin that was plastered into her memory.

With a heavy sigh, Ruby took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself as Yang took another step closer.

"Hello… sister." Ruby muttered slowly and was preparing to bow in respect. "How are-"

"RUBY!"

Instantly Ruby was swept from her feet and pulled into a bone crushing hug that made her cringe and clenched her teeth. Her world literally started to spin as Yang twirled them both around multiple times to the point Ruby might actually feel dizzy. What made matters worse was how Yang literally screamed in her ear.

"Oh my god baby sister it's so good to see you again! When I learned you were here I couldn't be any happier and rushed here as fast as I can! I'm so proud of you!" she yelled so fast that it was hardly understandable.

Yang pressed her heard closer to Ruby's chest and actually nuzzled herself into her little sister's breasts. "Oh Ruby! Your boobs got bigger since the last time I felt them! You're actually a C now!"

Weiss internally cursed as she looked down at her own breasts with a faint blush of anger. "Damn her." She muttered."

A few boys blushed and even drooled as they fantasized about breast sizes. Especially how Yang's were jiggling up and down.

"And they're soooo soft" Yang motor boated her sister's breasts which actually made Ruby blush with anger. "Oh my baby sister is becoming such a woman I feel like I'm gonna cry! Next she's going to lose her baby fat! How can I live without cuddling your adorable pudgy cheeks!"

Ruby couldn't find the words to describe how she felt, annoyed, embarrassed, but overall she was royally pissed off. At that moment Ruby had enough.

"YANG ENOUGH!" she screamed and with one free arm, Ruby sent it directly into Yang's jaw.

The punch was strong enough for Ruby to forcefully jump out of her sisters arms and onto the ground as Yang tumbled back into the crater from whence she came.

Everyone, including Blake, Ren, and Adam were all surprised to say the least. Some couldn't help but laugh at the whole ordeal, others were trying not to watch, a few were still surprised by the fact that a girl literally fell from the sky. And of course there were several boys, including Cardin Winchester, who were still thinking about how sexy Yang was.

Even when she fell from the ground, her boobs bounced by the impact which was enough for Cardin Winchester to drool slightly.

Professor Goodwitch sighed heavily as she rubbed her temples. She did not know how much of this headache she was willing to tolerate any longer. The headmaster simply remained silent with a neutral look as he observed the students. Professor Goodwitch knew that he was secretly enjoying the 'entertainment' before him. Otherwise he would have stopped it by now. She sighed again and turned back, hoping this would be over soon.

After the punch Ruby inflicted onto her sister, Blake, Adam, and Ren all had various thoughts running through their heads. But only one was similar to each other.

' _That's her sister?'_

It was even more astonishing that Ruby actually yelled in an almost… demonic voice. They were impressed to see how much force impacted Yang's face just from that one punch. Especially when it came from such a petite girl.'

' _Reminds me of a manga I read.'_ Thought Adam as he replayed Ruby's punch in his head.

' _Was that such a good idea?'_ Blake thought. She remembered everything that Ruby had told them about Yang and couldn't help but think of the worst possible scenario.

"Ruby was that such a good idea?" she asked as she walked up to the side of the red hooded girl.

Ruby turned around and sighed. "It was a great idea." She said and rubbed the hand she punched with.

"Was it even necessary?" Ren asked as he stared at the fallen body of Yang.

"It was very necessary." Replied Ruby.

Adam walked up and crossed his arms. "Nice punch Little Red."

"Thank you." Ruby sighed.

"Ow… that… hurt." Yang said hesitantly. At a turtle's pace, she rose from the crater and started standing up. Yang cracked her neck, where the cracking sound was loud enough for all to hear. She then patted her buttocks, getting rid of the dirt attached to it and started coming out of the crater again. She winced as she held her cheek that was slightly reddening by the hit.

"Ruby…" Yang said as she narrowed her eyes. "You… you…" she couldn't finish her sentence as she was visibly shaking. Ren, Blake, and Adam were all slightly cautious as they did not know what to expect. Ruby looked the calmest and simply stared at her sister with a blunt look. Then, with blinding speed, Yang lunged towards Ruby.

The movement was almost too fast to see but as Ren, Adam, and Blake all turned they could already see Yang already on top of Ruby, pushing them both to the ground.

' _Oh no.'_ they all thought and watched as Yang wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck. Ren, Blake, and Adam were about to summon their weapons until a voice exclaimed.

"YOU GOT STRONGER!"

They instantly stopped, and witnessed Yang gently hugging Ruby while the younger sister looked visibly annoyed. "Your punch was on point and you power sent shivers down my spine!" Her eyes started sparkling a bit. "Look at my jaw! It's really swollen! I can't believe how powerful you're getting! I really am going to cry! You're the bee's knees!"

"Yang… please… your embarrassing me." Ruby said as she struggled to push her sister off. "And no one say's that anymore." She muttered.

"Well I'm bringing back!"

"Please don't."

Ren and Blake were simply silent with no type of facial expression as Adam raised an eyebrow. "What… the hell?"

Then Ren decided to try and intervene. "Excuse me… Ms. Xiao Long?"

Yang turned and was greeted with a long haired Asian boy with magenta colored eyes. She couldn't help but grin sheepishly as her heart raced by how gorgeous the man was.

"Well hello hot stuff." Yang instantly got off Ruby, much to her relief, and rose where she was now face to face with him. "I don't think we've been introduced." She purred.

Ren felt an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. "I… am Lie Ren. I am a… associate of Ruby's." Yang turned back to Ruby, who was now standing up.

"Ruby you didn't tell me you were making friends with hot guys! I knew my lessons paid off!" she cheered.

Ruby gave her sister a dull look. "Yang… your lessons are cancer."

Yang ignored her sister's comment and was too busy focused on Ren. "You know… Ren," she said and she traced one finger over his chest. "Any friend of Ruby's, is a friend of mine." She purred and leaned a little closer into his ear. "And maybe more." She whispered which made the hair on Ren's neck stand up.

' _This woman is… abrasive.'_ Ren thought and took a step back. He was already regretting trying to intervene.

' _Damn that woman too!'_ Thought Weiss in heated anger. _'And damn myself for envying her boldness!'_

"Excuse me, Yang was it?" Adam asked as he took a step forward. "You do realize that we are about to take an exam correct?"

Yang didn't reply and merely stared at the boy. Adam raised an eyebrow as she walked closer to him.

"You are… invading my personal… space." He said and tried to back up.

Yang stopped him and leaned into his face. "You're a Faunus… with horns." She said and pointed towards his horns.

Adam did not know if he should feel annoyed or confused. "What about it?"

Yang grinned and then whispered in his ear. "Does this mean you feel "HORNY"! She started cracking up at her own joke and held her sides.

"Those stupid puns have returned." Ruby said and raised her hood up in embarrassment.

Adam did not know how to respond so he back away again until he felt a tug on his jackets sleeve. He saw that it was Yang who was holding him in place. He was surprised by her strength and even more surprised with how close she was getting.

"You know." She said. "I have thing for Faunus. They know how to have a "WILD" time if you know what I mean?" she winked and purred, placing a hand on Adam's chest. "Plus I sometimes like the bad boys."

"What?" Adam asked very confused.

"What do you say horny boy, wanna show this girl a good time tonight?" She asked and even grabbed Ren by the shoulder. "And I didn't forget you hot stuff. Maybe the three of us could-"

"Hey." Blake said. "You mind letting them go?"

Yang turned towards a girl with yellow eyes and a bow on her head. Instead of doing what she was asked to do. Yang, with her incredible strength, brought the boys closer to her chest where they tried to look away and hide their faint blushes.

"Well I don't think they mind." She teased and grinned towards Blake.

Some, if not all, of the men were now blushing, including a few girls, as all watched intently at what was going on. The girl who took a picture of Ruby before was recording the whole thing now and even drooling a bit.

"I disagree. So I will ask again. Let them go." Blake said and narrowed her eyes at Yang who, in respond, tilted her head to the side.

"You seem very defensive with these two. Are they perhaps your lovers?" She asked teasingly.

Blake's eyebrow twitched. "One of them, is my step brother."

Yang blinked. "Hot stuff here?" She nudged towards Ren.

"Actually me." Adam said while raising his hand slightly. "So can you please let go."

Yang pondered the idea for a few seconds and did, in fact, release the boys. However, she then walked closely to Blake.

"What?" Blake asked and prepared for anything.

"You know…" Yang said. "You're kinda cute when your feisty."

Blake was taken back by the statement. "What?" she asked again, this time a little more surprised.

"If you felt left out then you should have said so. I'm not picky with my race, color, or gender." She grinned. "And I like them feisty." She purred and winked at Blake. "Make's things much more interesting."

The bow wearing girl couldn't even muster a reply as Yang already pressed her body onto hers. Blake was beyond uncomfortable as their breasts were now rubbing against each other and slightly bouncing.

At this point some of the men, and even women, had blood trickling down their noses.

"I.." was all Blake could say as she fought a blush and tried to back away.

"Shh, don't worry." Yang said as she placed a finger to Blake's lips. "Tonight you, me, hot stuff, and horny boy can all get together, enjoy each other's company and then." Yang licked her lips. "We can fu-"

"Ahem." Ozpin cleared his throat, earning the attention of every student. "Well, now that our missing student has finally arrived I do believe we can get our exam underway."

"Oh yeah!" Almost as if a spark had triggered Yang to remember, she suddenly moved towards the headmaster, stammering out her apologies. "I'm so sorry I'm late Professor Oz! I'm a deep sleeper and I didn't wake up until an hour after I received that email. But thank god my friends woke me up. Also I didn't know where to go since this place is way huge and all so I've been running around trying to find this you guys for the last 10 minutes…"

Ozpin blinked. This would normally be a straightforward explanation, but the fact that she said it all under a few seconds made it a jumbled heap of gobbled up sounds that no one could have understood.

Professor Goodwitch looked at Yang, her eye twitching for a moment, before she said calmly "Repeat that one more time for us Miss. Xiao Long… slower."

After Yang did so, and Goodwitch and Ozpin accepted her apologies, she silently made her way to the platform next to Ruby. Ruby visibly cringed until Ozpin halted Yang.

"I'm afraid that spot is already taken Miss. Xiao Long." he said.

Yang looked in distraught but then turned to Ren. "Then maybe I can stand next to-"

"Unfortunately you cannot."

Yang whined a bit then turned to Adam, who was internally sweating. "Then maybe-"

"No you may not."

Yang then turned to Blake who looked away with an annoyed look on her face. "Can-"

"I'm afraid your spot has already been decided all the way on the far left over there."

Ozpin pointed towards the empty platform.

"What?!" Yang whined. "Couldn't we-"

"Apologies Yang but the headmaster's word is law." Ruby said with a shrug.

Adam and Ren both nodded as Blake quietly breathed out a sigh of relief. Though on the inside she was celebrating.

Yang looked visibly upset and grumbled to herself as she slowly took her place on the last stand.

Ruby let out a relieved sigh, shoulders slumping and, eyes closed, at the knowledge that the conversation they had was over and she didn't have to deal with her sister for the time being.

As Yang got into positon, so did Adam, Ren, and Blake. After a moment, Ozpin took a step forward and began to speak, explaining the rules of the final test for initiation. Finally, the test was about to commence.

"For years, all of you standing here have trained to become warriors of renown. Now, your skills will be tested here." He said motioning his hand to the side. "within the Emerald Forest."

The students acknowledged their situation carefully as the atmosphere now felt more tense than it had ever been before.

"The rules are simple." He continued. "You shall all be placed within the Emerald Forest, and will have to find a partner." Ruby stiffened for a moment. "The way partners are established is simple. Once eye contact is established between two students, they are partners for the rest of their time at Beacon. No give-backs, no trade-me, one look and it is done and set in stone." Ruby felt a shiver crawl through her. She turned slightly and could see Yang staring at her, Ren, Blake, and Adam with stars in her eyes. The others noticed this to and they all had one thought in their mind.

' _Oh god no…'_

Ren also shivered again but could not for the life of him discover why. He was completely oblivious to the intense staring Weiss had on him as a sinister look sprawled across her face.

"Remember students, once you are within the forest you may encounter other students from other sections. Whether you know them or not, they are your partner once eye contact is made. Also, all students shall be monitored via a tracking device in your scroll that will allow us to keep track of your progress through the forest.

Ruby scowled while slightly turning towards Weiss. The possibilities of her running into her are slim but the fact that it takes a simple look to become partners seemed foolery. She prayed that she wouldn't have the misfortune of being partnered with the stuck-up princess

 _'Although I do feel sorry for whoever has to put up with her as a partner.'_

Goodwitch continued where Ozpin left off. "As you all already know, you are being paired with your partner and teammates today. Your partner is selected by being the first student you make eye contact with. And the teammates other than said partner shall be assigned based upon several factors, including the compatibility of the groups, and differing strengths and weaknesses."

Ozpin took up from this point. "These partners and teammates shall be with you for the entirety of your time together here in Beacon, and likely for an extended period afterwards. As such, it is in your best interest to be partnered with someone who can cover your faults. Now, as for what the test itself consists of…" He drifted in thought for a second and Ruby could have sworn she saw a faint smirk across his face. "all students will move towards one of the varying locations throughout the Emerald Forest. Once you land, you are going to seek out your partner. Once you and your partner are together, retrieve the relics within one of the designated locations. My recommendation would be the abandon temple just east of here. You and your partner are to take only one relic and return to the Academy together. Throughout the forest, you shall come across heavy oppositions from various creatures of Grimm. You must fight with all of your skills as though your life was on the line… as it truly is. Otherwise, you WILL die."

At this, several students nodded, and the Jaune fellow even began to slightly shake. Ruby felt nothing from the headmaster's words however. This was the profession she had chosen and contemplated for years. If she was going to fight, pain and harm were to be expected. Death was only one step further.

"Once you and your partner have finished, you are free to do as you wish. This test shall be taking place all morning until noon, and the ceremony shall be held in the afternoon. Are there any questions?"

At Ozpin's question, Jaune raised his hand and hesitantly spoke "Yea, um, sir?"

Continuing as if the boy hadn't said anything, Ozpin carried on. "Good! Now, take your positions."

As the various students on the starting platforms got into ready stances, the Arc boy continued to stand dumbfounded, hand raised, and looking fearfully around. "Uh, sir? I've got um… I've got a quest-"

The boy was interrupted as a loud sound rang out far to his right. At the end of the line that way. Ruby saw as Yang being propelled from her platform and was sent flying forward into the forest. After her, a couple more were sent lifting off.

Ruby noticed that Weiss being thrusted next, and enjoyed how she was flailing momentarily, before catching herself and leveled out. As much as she had to admit, Ruby was impressed with how well trained the ice queen was in using glyphs.

After her, Ruby watched amusedly as Jaune, looked even more fearfully towards his own feet, or in fact, the platform underneath him. There was still a couple more people to go before he was lifted off.

Seeing he had finally gotten Ozpin's attention, Ruby noticed that Jaune was slightly twitchier, before continuing with his question. "Um, so, this… will you be dropping us off safely, or…"

Ruby shook her head and rolled her eyes. "From what just happened to Weiss and those before her, do you honestly think we're just being dropped off?" she said earning his attention.

"Do not worry." Ren said to the blonde boy. "I am sure you will be fine."

"Just try not to hit one of those trees, you'll turn into a mist of red if you do."

"Adam." Blake sighed. "Leave him be, do not give him any wild imagination."

It was too late, there was nothing but a shocked look on his face as he paled. He began sputtering. "Wa- bu- but then, were parachutes handed out or something and I just missed it?"

Professor Ozpin answered him. "No, you are merely using your own landing strategy." The headmaster took growing amusement in the increasing anxiety shown on the young man's face. At Professor Goodwitch's command she pressed a button on her data pad and off went another student. There was now only one more before Jaune.

"I see, so… what exactly is a landing strategy- ahhhh!…" The sound slowly cut off as the blonde boy was sent flying, limbs flailing, head rocking back and forth off towards the Emerald Forest.

After a short chuckle, Professor Ozpin turned to the few students left as they continued to lift off. Ruby, also, seemed to have shared in his amusement of the anxious boy. Call it grim but she always found humor in other's misery.

After a moment, though, a questioning look appeared on Ruby's face. "Headmaster do… do you think he was being serious about not knowing what to do?"

After a short thought, Professor Ozpin gave a contemplative look. "That could prove to be a problem. Well, it has happened before, unfortunately, so…"

"People die all the time." Adam said with a shrug.

"That is true. But what will you do headmaster?" asked Ren.

"Not much… in this instance." He replied.

A few chuckles were let out by the last remaining four. Professor Goodwitch continued to hit the button on the scroll that initiated Blake's platform and she launched into the air. Ren was next and he nodded to Ruby and Adam before being launched as well.

"Try not to die Little Red. "Adam asked as he gave Ruby a two finger salute.

"Not before you Adam." Ruby replied and nodded to the Faunus boy.

With a smirk, Adam turned forward and was launched. Only Ruby remained and before Professor Goodwitch hit the button, she nodded to the headmaster to which he returned one respectfully. A few seconds later and Ruby's platform sent her flying forward, following all of the other students into the Emerald Forest.

Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch watched as Ruby flew farther away from their sight. Internally, he wished all of them well and as he raised his ever-present coffee mug, took a sip, and lowered the mug, his eyes followed after the small girl wearing red and black. Professor Goodwitch turned to her trusted headmaster and longtime friend.

"She's the one, isn't she?" she asked in sincere tone.

Professor Ozpin's head slightly turned in her direction, the faraway look still on his face while his eyes followed the shrinking form of Ruby in the distance. "Yes. She is."

A small, sad smile spread across his face as the girl finally disappeared into the tree line. "I still can't believe it has been nine years since Summer died."

Professor Goodwitch, too, had a sad look on her face. "It was much too soon for her. She had so much more left for her… and that girl is proof of that."

Professor Ozpin could only give a small nod, showing he agreed with her, and turned. He began walking away to wait and see what happened as the students began their final entrance test for Beacon.

"Ozpin." Glynda called out. "Must we really be hard on the girl? After everything Summer has done for us… for you… must we still hover over her like some… guards?"

Professor Ozpin did not reply. He merely continued walking while taking a sip of his coffee one more time.

Professor Goodwitch looked down at her trembling hands. _'God forgive us all.'_

 **And thus the seventh chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


	11. Chapter 8

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the eighth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S. A special thanks to Jazz for being the 150** **th** **reviewer.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To EMOS: I have already decided Weiss' partner and this person is the best choice for her, in my opinion, because it will definitely add some good scenes with these two together. As for Nora, well, that is a secret at the moment but one that I am sure many would many wide eyes and say "Wait What?!"**

 **To Nikola the Einstein: The reason for my changes is because the direction of the story was progressing much faster than it should and going down a path I had no intention of going. Further elaborating, the characters only interacted for a day and already they were acting like best friends. In an actuality, I saw that as bad writing and story flow on my part for actually rushing things to an extent rather than letting the character development change over time. A second reason is because of the personality changes. Initially Ruby, Ren, Blake, and Adam, were to be serious and reserved characters while still maintaining some individualistic traits that made them unique from one another. When reading the chapters, I couldn't help but cringe when I saw how friendly they were being with each other, joking more, and being very different than how they were portrayed in the trailers. I guess what I am saying is when I first saw Ruby in her original trailer, I saw a young serious girl, not a bubbly one. And here I felt as if I was making her more social than her personality should have. I wanted them all to move at a slower pace and open up to each other once they become a team and go on adventures together. That's the development I wanted.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: Thank you for understanding my friend and I know you have certainly been with me for a long time.**

 **The Shadow977: No, the trailers were not edited however I do want to edit the green trailer a bit more, but that will be taking place sometime in the future.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 8: Pain in the Forest

Professor Goodwitch pressed the button on her data pad. And within seconds, the platform underneath Ruby lifted with incredible force. Before she knew it, her feet were already leaving the platform and she was hundreds of feet in the air and still launching higher into the sky.

The ground and two professors shrank as Ruby flew farther away and within seconds, Headmaster Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch were nothing more than two small dots before immediately vanishing out of her line of sight.

' _Here we go.'_ She thought and looked straight ahead. She enjoyed the rush of flying and although it felt pleasant, it would have been more satisfying if it were a night sky with a full moon.

Remaining calm, Ruby angled her body to the right when she stabilized herself to alter her landing strategy. Far ahead of her, shey only had a few seconds to see several students already using various strategies to slow their descent. She even spotted a few who have just landed and disappeared beneath the trees. She knew she had to be on the ground fast if she wanted to catch up with them. That was when she noticed in the distance ahead of her, numerous other bodies all launching simultaneously into the air and scattering into every direction.

' _The other five hundred.'_ Ruby thought and reached for her weapon. She had to make haste.

When Ren was launched, his eyes automatically squinted as he flew through the air towards the Emerald Forest. Though he braced himself, he couldn't have predicted how strong the wind would rush through his face. The first few seconds blinded him until he channeled his aura into his eyes which allowed him to grow used to the heavy air. He scanned his surroundings and saw how a few people were already preparing to land.

He narrowed his eyes slightly; if he were to succeed in catching up with the majority who went before him, then he had to land soon. He scanned the perimeter and spotted the perfect solution in front of him.

' _There!'_

Less than a few meters away was a thick, brown tree that was incredibly taller than any other in its proximity with no branches to ruin what he planned. The tree was near the direction he was falling and he leaned to the right as the wind pushed him closer.

' _Wait for it.'_

He only had a few seconds to make his plan work, otherwise he would risk injuring himself or worse. When he was extremely close to the tree, Ren twirled around, releasing Storm Flower from his cuffs and braced himself.

' _Now!'_

Before what could have been an impact, Ren twisted to the right, nearly hitting the trunk, and jammed both of his Storm Flowers into the surface of the tree, carving a groove trail. He kept his body curved with his legs forward as the force sent him downwards into a spiral slope around the lumber. His descent started to slow when the impact lost its powerful force and allowed him to reach the ground low enough to jump down and barrel roll safely.

Rising, Ren took note of his surroundings and immediately pointed his weapons in every angle around him. He gave a quick, but thorough, glance at every bush and tree and relaxed when he didn't sense any movement. He retracted his weapons, momentarily, and brushed off the sawdust his jacket collected from his landing.

' _Alright landing is done. Now time to find a partner.'_

Ren looked around and could only see trees, grass, and bushes in every direction. There was not a soul around him and it was strangely quiet. A forest would normally be filled with the noises of wildlife, insects and even the wind. But there was none of the three. Only silence.

Ren narrowed his eyes. He had just arrived into the forest and already something was wrong. He released Storm Flower again and grew cautious. From the few seconds he had, Ren's aerial view made it abundantly clear that the forest was indeed a large one. Who knew what could be lying in wait and Ren did not want to ponder it any further.

With only five hundred students in the forest, he had to be quick in order to find someone before something threatening found him. That was when thoughts of Ruby, Blake, and Adam crossed his mind.

But before thinking any further, Ren heard explosions overhead. He instinctively looked up with his weapons already aiming but raised an eyebrow when he saw nothing but the clear blue sky. A second explosion sounded again and this time a flash of bright blonde hair suddenly entered and exited his vision in seconds.

' _Was…. Was that…'_

He was unsure of what he saw. Until he heard the cheering and yelling of a familiar voice belonging to the only Blonde person he actually met. Then he knew and felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.

"I'M COMING BABY SISTER!"

Sighing heavily, Ren nodded to himself and turned in the opposite direction of the voice and started walking.

' _Apologies Ruby but… better you than me.'_ He felt some guilt in thinking that but in fairness, he had his fair share of wild women in his life and he certainly did not need another one anytime soon.

That was when he stopped and thought deeply about something, or rather someone, he has not thought about in a long time. He looked up at the sky again, and noticed the sun shining brighter than before through the tree lines and into his face. The warm feeling reminded him of the bright smile his childhood friend always had plastered on her face whenever he saw her. Even now, he couldn't help smiling when picturing it.

' _I hope you're doing well… Nora.'_

Thinking quickly, Ruby released her Crescent Rose into its second stage and aimed it directly in front of her towards a tree with an abnormally thick branch. Growing ever so closer to the ground, she began to shoot, using the recoil to slow herself as much as possible before actually reaching the tree. She was only able to unload three shots before having to activate Crescent Rose's scythe form and used the curved blade to hook herself onto the branch, careful enough not to slice it.

Using her leg muscles, Ruby kicked her body forward where she spun around the tree limb once letting gravity do the rest. She initiated her scythe to collapse into its resting phase and sheathed it behind her as she fell. Instead of impacting, Ruby jumped on a different tree branch and then another that was lower until she was able to safely land in a crouched position.

She stood up and observed her surroundings. She saw nothing threatening or abnormal and nodded in approval. It was just herself with various trees, bushes and grass. She didn't even bother to drop the smile she had plastered on her face.

' _Finally… in my natural habitat.'_

She took in a deep breath of air and tasted the cool sensation that always tingled her tongue. It sent a shiver of joy down her spine. The air's freshness was uninfluenced by the pollution of the city and Ruby felt more free than she had in the past few days.

Now that she was on the ground she quickly chose a direction and started to run with incredible speed. She rushed through the forest, dodging countless trees that looked stick figured when running past them. Ruby's smile widened, the best part of moving through the forest was how amazingly cool the wind felt when rushing through her hair. It brought memories of her past when she would always do this back at home. It was her specialty and the reason why she was able to get out of many terrible situations growing up.

As she ran, Ruby planned her next moves carefully in her mind. She was already at a disadvantage so her objectives had to be organized and carried out correctly. Time was not on her side and she was forced to make haste. Even if it was only by a small margin, she still had the least amount of time in the forest to find a partner; on top of that, she had to make it to one of the key objective points, and collect a relic back to Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch.

She prayed that her speed would allow her to complete her tasks in record time. The fear of failing now worked its way into the back of her mind. Failure was not an option. She activated her semblance to increase her speed and channeled her aura into her legs so they could keep up. She reviewed her objectives over and over again. The last two parts would be the easiest, but the first one would be the tricky, if not difficult, one out of all of them.

From the start, the thought of being forced into a partnership didn't really sit well with Ruby. She grimaced as she thought about it. The people she had seen throughout Beacon were all older than her and knowing how the older, pride filled teens were, they would not want to cooperate with someone younger than them and Ruby did not want to make time dealing with their foolery.

Some people, like Weiss, already looked down on her for a simple number. She could only hope the person she partners with would not be like that; but the chances were extremely low. In all honesty, if she could have chosen, she would have preferred going solo. Since that was out of the question she would at least pick someone on good terms with her. That was when she thought of Blake, Ren and Adam.

They were the only people who had any kind of respect from her. The only ones she actually interacted with excluding her sister and ice queen. Any one of them would have been a good partner. However finding even one of them would be a challenge. The forest was massive, there was no telling where they could have landed or if she could have found them. It was a needle in a haystack, but this time there were three needles and the haystack was larger than usual.

Ruby huffed in irritation. Should it be Yang that she finds – she shuddered at the thought – things would be incredibly awkward for a while, if only for her. Weiss was absolutely not someone she would work with. The bad blood they already had for one another would see to it that one of them would end their career in a coffin.

She sighed as she flipped over a log and kept running. She didn't know anyone else. And those that she knew of were only on name bases only, no real communication. That was not a very good option either and it seemed fool hardy. That Jaune fellow was probably dead by now and if he wasn't Ruby did not seem him lasting long in combat. Not without the proper training. And, no offense to him, she did not want someone who would slow her down. Then there was that celebrity, Pyrrha Nikos; but she never talked to the girl and the red head seemed much too… friendly and apologetic for Ruby's liking. She sighed as she jumped over some wet mud.

 _'Finding a partner is harder than I thought._ _I just hope whoever I run into isn't a loud-mouthed over optimistic idiot. That would just be annoy-.'_

She was interrupted from her thoughts when a sudden flash of white filled her vision from out of nowhere, it appeared running out of a bush in front of her and was dangerously close. Ruby was caught slightly off guard and couldn't avoid it as she tried to halt. She jammed her feet into the ground but with her current speed, her boots only slid across the ground; it barely slowed her down and there was no time to dodge. She closed her eyes and sighed

' _This is going to hurt.'_ She thought and inevitably crashed into it.

The collision was fast and sent Ruby stumbling backwards onto her back, she ended up sprawled on the grass as something landed on top of her causing her to groan as it hit her stomach. She moaned in pain and the white Ruby saw was now covering parts of her face, some even went into her mouth. It was soft, warm, threadlike and smelled like… cherries.

' _This is… hair.'_ She realized and spat it out immediately. It was clear now, she ran into someone… again. She tried to get up only to cause the other person to groan and move their arms. Ruby suddenly felt a blush of anger rise up as the other person's hand accidentally grabbed one of her breasts and squeezed it.

Without really thinking, Ruby, closing her eyes, instinctively grabbed the person by the shoulders and pushed them off with great force. They landed with a loud thud and were sprawled out on their back still groaning. Trying to calm down, Ruby took in a deep breath in hopes of stopping the world from spinning around her. Once it did, she looked over to see who she collided with. And when she saw, dread was the only thing plastered on her face.

She didn't want to believe it to be who she thought but the body parts were identified. Tall, pure white boots encasing pale legs, a white dress with lace trim, and a gray rapier at the hip that held an engraved name. That was all she needed to see to know who the person was, and Ruby was livid.

' _Why her…'_ She stared at the body of Weiss Schnee with narrowed eyes. This was beyond a nightmare. Weiss was too busy groaning from the impact to notice but Ruby could feel her blood boiling and her hands shaking. The only person, besides Yang, whom she did not want to be partners with, was now… her partner.

' _Maybe I don't have to be her partner.'_ She thought and slowly reached for Crescent Rose. The thought was pleasant but Ruby knew that it was her anger talking. She resisted the urge to reach any further and shook her head.

' _No… I cannot do that… Uncle Qrow would be very disappointed and… she is a comrade… despite be very… very annoying.'_ She sighed in frustration. The word comrade was something her Uncle would always push into her mind.

' _It does not matter who that person is or how much you dislike them, if you are both fighting on the same side you are comrades. You don't have to like them or be friends with them, but respect the rules of combat and watch their backs as they would for you. If you even consider fighting with killing intent towards a comrade, then you would be looked upon as a disgrace to all warriors, including me.'_

Ruby sighed again. Her uncles lesson had many valid points and she would indeed disgrace herself if she even thought that it would be worth it. She had no choice but to take what she had as a hunter and put up with it.

' _But why… why did I have to look her in the… wait.'_

A sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she couldn't help but feel like a complete idiot when she didn't realize it sooner.

' _I never looked her in the eyes.'_ She almost jumped with joy… almost.

As the pain started to fade, Weiss regained her focus on her surroundings. She blinked a few times to stop the dizziness and started remembering what she had been doing prior. She landed in the forest and was walking in hopes of finding someone to partner up with, namely Ren or the celebrity Pyrrha Nikos. The girl was one of the strongest in her grade and if the two teamed up then she would be unstoppable, them, was what she meant to say. Not to mention that she was incredibly beautiful with a great body.

When Weiss thought of Ren next, she could not stop the blush from coming. If those two were to become partners, then they would have no choice but to get close and then that would develop into friendship and possibly… a relationship. Weiss' face grew more red at the thought, while she never really had a relationship before, the romance books she read always tugged her heart into wanting one in reality.

Getting off topic, Weiss realized that she was still on the ground and remembered little as to why. She had been walking through the forest looking for a partner, then she saw something odd on a tree. Her eyes widened when she remembered. She was looking up and saw Jaune Arc stuck to it with a weapon piercing his hood. He was dangling like a bumbling dunce and Weiss groaned when he was trying to 'play it cool' in front of her.

Knowing it was a Schnee's job to help any peasant in need she was going to release him… eventually until she saw a large cicada right next to his head, hissing. As much as she hated to admit it, she was disgusted and ran; leaving the Arc boy to cry out in panic. She knew it was a cowardly, and a stereotypical thing to do as a woman, but she couldn't help but feel disgusted as it crawled around all nasty and crawly and hissy. She shivered at the thought, she was raised to fear nothing and to show women around the world how strong a Schnee woman can be. But insects will always be her weakness and no one will find out, she will take it to the grave. The next thing she knew, she ran passed a bush and… now she was on the ground.

With the pain now gone completely, Weiss started to slowly rise and shook her head. She didn't know what she hit be it a rock, a tree or whatever but it was incredibly strong, almost like a car knocking the wind out of her. That was when she remembered feeling something… plump which didn't make sense and dropped the thought.

She sighed and started to look around her surroundings. She was still in the forest but she realized that she wasn't alone. Across from her was none other than Ruby Rose. She already gritted her teeth and put two and two together. Like her, Rose was sitting on the ground with some of her outfit being smudged with dirt. She fumed when she thought about how much it would cost to get her attire cleaned. Her anger has been steadily rising the more she thought of it. For the second time, the rose girl had bumped into her, and again she had to be annoying somehow.

However, despite being angry, Weiss secretly couldn't believe the strength Ruby possessed from their impact. It was something noteworthy but she hated how strong this… child was. She would never admit it to her or anyone because Rose still did not seem worthy of Beacon. And then it hit her, they were still in the middle of Beacon's exam and the first person they saw was to be their partner.

Ruby noticed Weiss sitting up from the corner of her eyes and resisted the urge to look at her. The slight chance if she did could easily solidify their partnership and she wanted none of that. However, she did notice the white haired girl looking at her and moved her head further away.

"Oh great, YOU'RE my partner?!" she yelled, which echoed around them.

Ruby quickly raised a finger to her lips. "Shut up you imbecile," She sharply whispered. "Do you want to attract a Grimm?"

Weiss gasped and grew red as she narrowed her eyes. "How dare you call me an imbecile when you were the one who ran into me!"

Despite wincing at her annoyingly loud voice, Ruby made sure to keep her eyes locked firmly on the ground as she stood up.

"That only happened because you blindly walked in front of me without even be aware of your surroundings." She dusted herself off and patted her body all over. "How can you still call me unworthy when you could not even follow the basics of huntership. 'Always be vigilant'."

Weiss stuttered a bit as she tried to find a clever retort, but unless she wanted to reveal the reason why she ran through a bush, she remained quiet. The mere thought of Rose ever finding out would make things worse.

"Also to answer your first question princess, no we are not partners."

Weiss was now confused and raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about now. We found each other so therefore we are partners by the headmasters ruling. I personally don't like it as well but the rules are-"

"Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch stressed it," Ruby interrupted. "We become partners, on EYE contact. I have not looked you in the eyes, so therefore WE are not partners." Weiss could not see it but Ruby had a small smirk planted on her face.

' _Thank the moon Uncle Qrow taught me how to bend the rules.'_

She couldn't see Weiss's face, but she knew the ice queen was mostly likely not happy with the logical statement she presented. Finding twists and loopholes were critical in times like these. But just thinking about the look on her face almost tempted Ruby to turn a little. However, she immediately denied it and continued resisting the urge. It was too dangerous. There was no doubt that the reaction was priceless but she would still be at risk in looking at Weiss' eyes.

Ruby turned her body fully around now and felt she had wasted enough time. She started walking away in the opposite direction in silence. As much as she wanted to continue toying with Weiss there was simply no time to waste. She had to find a partner soon or risk failing the exam. Even if the gods were presenting Weiss as the solution, she was not desperate enough to call her partner. It was hard enough calling her comrade already.

Weiss was absolutely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe she had forgotten the specifics of the rules and couldn't believe she let Ruby get one over her. As the red hooded girl started to walk away. She gritted her teeth, in all her life there was no one who stood up and disrespected her like Rose did. She was the perfect student, heiress to the biggest company in all of Remnant and the smartest girl in the school. She was to be respected, loved, and even feared. And then Ruby Rose had to come along to make things difficult. From the moment they met, she has been a thorn in her side. She was annoying, rude, rowdy, bold, and just an overall nuisance. She was the only person in her life to ever stand up to her and treat her like just another person and…Weiss now had a blush on her face; it always made her heart race.

She would never admit it but every time Ruby was around her, every time she walked up to her or, even looked at her… her heart raced so fast that it sometimes hurt. No one had ever dared to disrespect her until she came along.

It started back when they first met, when Ruby said all those terrible things about her family's company. When she walked off, she was angry at first but then felt a shiver of sensation when she realized no one ever talked down to her like that. It scared her when she liked it too. Since then Weiss tried to deny it even though she knew her secret was the cause of it. But the more she was near Ruby, the more they talked and the more she insulted her, the less resisting she did and the more she liked it.

Weiss knew it was her secret doing this to her. She hated and loved it. Since her preteen years, she kept the secret deep in a closet and no one knew about it except for her sister because of…. one night. She was angry of course but like any sister would, she helped her little sister keep her secret hidden. For good reason too, if it was to ever be revealed she knew she would bring shame to her family and the media would be all over her and the company. She could never face her father again if it came out to the world.

"O-oh. Well, good! Who'd want to be partners with a shrimp like you anyway?" Weiss shouted. She knew she didn't mean it, but her pride always took over and talked for her whenever she tried to make normal conversations. And, every time, it always backfired.

Ruby had to stop herself at the pale heiress' words. She froze for a few seconds and turned slightly, looking over her shoulder, focusing on Weiss's boots so as to not make eye contact and ruin any hope of having an enjoyable stay at Beacon. She didn't even have to think of a retort as the words flowed freely from her lips.

"The same could be said about working with a stuck up bitch like you… Weiss."

With that said, Ruby heard a small gasp and was satisfied with that. She turned back and the red-cloaked girl shot into the forest, only to become a red blur, leaving a trail of rose petals behind. What Ruby did not see was the shocked and remorseful look on Weiss's face.

She slowly walked forward and picked up one of the rose petals. Her eyes softened as she stared at it and then, she smelled it. It smelled like Ruby and the blush she had returned brighter than before. She let out a little moan as she fell to her knees. Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She was panting heavily with her legs twitching a bit and if one could hear it closely, the sound of dripping could be heard. Weiss couldn't control herself, even if she wanted to. She carefully licked the tip of the rose petal and a bit of saliva drooled from her mouth.

' _Stop that! You're a Schnee! Not some harlot!'_ As if a sudden realization hit her, Weiss immediately stopped and dropped the petal. She quickly backed away while fixing her attire and wiped the drool away. She looked down at the petals and then into the direction where Ruby took off to. The remorseful look returned.

"You dunce." Was all she said as she walked away with a frown.

Ruby continued dashing on, her eyes taking in everything before her as she searched for someone she could work with for a partner. The whole ordeal with Weiss lasted longer than it should have and she had to quicken her pace. She contemplated the objectives. The people for her team mattered less to her than a partner right now. A team would to be chosen for them but it was the partner that they had to choose on their own and were supposed to be staying with for the entirety of their career as a huntsman or huntress. From a lot of the autobiographies hunters made, all of them said partners were almost always close friends to each other, no matter how far apart the hunts took them, or how long it has been between meetings. It was clear from what Ruby read that one's partner was important.

Slowing her pace, she took a moment to think in a grassy clearing. Looking around, finding nothing but the trees and herself present, she relaxed a little. Sitting down on a large rock a few feet away, Ruby pulled out her Crescent Rose and gently rubbed it. The idea that partners were to become friends gave her mix emotions. Who was she really fooling, the headmaster? The students? Or herself? She never really wanted to find a partner but it was required for her if she wanted to become a hunter.

Ruby couldn't help but feel angered by how the school was forcing people to work together. Did they never even consider accounting for people who wanted to be on their own. Or perhaps those who were not good with socialization and only want to protect and serve without having to interact.

' _So much for freedom of choice'._ She sarcastically thought.

She was never good at making friends, nor was she a social person. If the person was the complete opposite of her, she feared things would not work out. Things like friendships, relationships, and family were only a liability to her. Going solo was better, at least she would only have to worry about herself rather than having to put others in danger.

She sighed heavily and cuddled her weapon. "Why can't you just be my partner, Crescent Rose? It'd be so much simpler then… not having to deal with people at all. No more looks, no more people looking down on us… no more judging, insults, or hurtful words…no more pain…" Ruby felt a single tear role down her eye. "Why can't it ever be that easy?"

She closed her eyes tightly.

She thought back to the time where she still attended Signal. The people who still always looked at her strange. The pipsqueak, the loser, the freak they called her. When she wasn't bullied in the hallway The combat sessions were the perfect excuses to beat the hell out of her without getting in trouble. She remembered once when someone had taken her clothes when she was showering and locked the door. She was stuck and naked in the locker room for hours. It was one of the most humiliating things that ever happened.

But nothing was worse than the time she was almost raped. It astonished her that it was a few girls who actually wanted to see it happen. Their motivation, because they felt she needed to toughen up and know how good a man feels inside of them. They set everything up and found a few boys who agreed to do it. It was on a weekend when they found her sitting in the forest. And before she knew it, the girls already had her arms pinned while the boys fought each other to try and get into her pants. She remembered screaming and crying, begging them to stop. What bewildered Ruby the most was how she saw few girl's pants less and masturbating to the sight. They looked crazed with their eyes wide and sickening wild grins as they groped themselves and drooled.

Ruby trembled as she gritted her teeth. Some blood escaped her lips as she bit the inside of her mouth. She would have lost her innocence that day if it wasn't for Uncle Qrow beating them all into a bloody pulp. But then again, she already lost her innocence when she came to those boys and girls after training with Qrow and almost killed them.

She continued to cry softly to herself as she nuzzled her weapon closer and leaned further back on the tree. The past was the past and while it does not affect her now, she can never forget the pain. These were secrets she never wanted anyone to know. The only one she could ever trust with any of them was her Uncle Qrow.

As she cried for several minutes, Ruby was starting to feel a little better. While not totally fine, good enough to feel relaxed. She eventually stopped her crying and dried her tears. She took in a few deep breaths and felt ready to continue.

' _I promised Uncle Qrow that I will never let the past happen again. While it never will, it will still be there as my reminder of the pain I felt.'_ Ruby looked up at the sky and could see the sun still shining brightly through the branches. _'This is my new life. I don't want to keep feeling this pain.'_

She stood up and activated Crescent Rose. _'I will never allow pain to consume me ever again. Watch me mother, as I keep moving forward.'_

Ruby's smiled to herself but her thoughts were interrupted by strange rumbling and vibrating coming through the ground. She quickly looked around to find what was causing it until a new sound appeared before her, causing her eyes to widen. The hair on the back of her neck rose as Ruby quickly rolled forward before a fallen log crushed her body. She tumbled back to her feet and looked back to see both the log and rock crushed into large chunks.

She heard roaring and immediately her instincts kicked in. She lunged to the left and as she felt a strong force of wind from what tried to come at her and turned to see the source of attack. Had she been a second too late, she would have felt claws pierce her neck rather than wind brush by it. She narrowed her eyes and got into a defensive stance. Standing in front of her were four Beowulves with a large white Alpha Beowulf standing behind the pack.

Ruby scoffed as the white Alpha grin wickedly at her. "All you Alphas are the same. Cowering in the back letting your pack take the hit. Your nothing but a coward."

As if the Alpha understood her, it roared in anger and immediately rushed towards her, pushing the other Beowulves out of the way.

With Crescent Rose already activated, she flicked the safety switch to kill and twirled it into the ground. The tip of the scythe already jammed deep enough to remain sturdy as Ruby smirked when she remembered what happened when she did this last time. She quickly turned the weapon towards the Alpha and pulled the trigger. As strong as the beast was it was not invincible as it looked when its head exploded from the force of the Dust round impacting through its forehead.

With the head flying who knows where, the Alpha's body started to disintegrate into rose petals just like those Beowulves back home did when she encountered them.

While the Alpha was indeed stronger and smarter than the rest of its pack, it was quick to anger and if it did, it would go into blind rage where it would be incredibly vulnerable and easy to kill. That was the Beowulves weakness.

The other Beowulves, seeing their alpha fall, growled and howled as they grew into a state of rage. They began to move but not all at once. One immediately charged at her, with two others moving to the sides to get around her. The fourth, after a moment's hesitation, moved forward with the first Beowulf. They were planning.

Removing her scythe from the ground and spinning it around in her hands, Ruby closed her eyes and then opened them to reveal them being pitch black. She grinned as she fired another shot, letting the momentum carry her directly to the first Beowulf. She enjoyed close combat more than anything and she had some anger to vent out.

The Grimm swung at her, claws ready to rend flesh from her bone, until the shaft of her scythe met with its arm. Continuing the motion, she pulled on the scythe, removing the Beowulf's head from its shoulders.

She moved away from the second beast's attempt to rip her into bloody pieces, before she swung the blade again, where she sliced and ripped through the Beowulf's neck and head from beneath. She pulled the trigger again, freeing her blade from the now-lifeless Grimm, and twirled, bring it down towards the Beowulf coming at her from behind. It dodged and tried to strike. Jumping and firing off another shot, Ruby flipped backwards buying herself some breathing room which she used to see where her remaining foes were.

Two Beowolves remained, standing back and taking stock of her as she was them. Neither side took any motion to advance on the other, both simply locked in a stare down. They remained this way for several seconds, until Ruby narrowed her black eyes.

" **Come on then**." She said in a low demonic voice. " **What are you waiting for**?"

Almost on que the remaining Beowulves roared and lunged until a stabbing sound was heard. Ruby looked around and noticed one of the Beowulves stopped moving. It groaned in pain before it fell forward leaving the other Beowulf confused. That was when Ruby noticed two green weapons stabbed into the back of the fallen Beowulf by two large blades. Ruby looked at it closer and then her eyes went back to normal.

' _Wait… are those not…'_

The last remaining Beowulf howled in anger and decided to press his attack anyway as he rushed towards Ruby. She prepared herself for a counter attack but then heard a gunfire. She looked behind her but saw nothing. However, she did the Beowulf howl in pain and turned back.

She saw that a blade, attached with a black ribbon, pierced through the left Beowulf's chest as it blead through the wound. The Grimm continued to howl until it was silenced by a loud gunshot piercing through it's head. The battle was over.

Letting out a breath, Ruby checked her weapon for any damages and where there was none, she retracted Crescent Rose back. It was then that she saw the black ribbon being tugged as the blade was pulled back into its owner's hand. She noticed that there was someone up on one of the tall thick branches that overlooked the clearing Ruby stood in. However, as she looked further up she realized there was more than just one person.

She started from the bottom and slowly looked up three figures all dressed in black outfits. One wearing a bow on their head, the other was wearing black sunglasses, and the final one had long black hair with a magenta streak. Instantly Ruby couldn't believe it.

The three jumped down to the ground. The long haired one walked towards the Grimm with weapons still stabbed onto its back and pulled them out. The one wearing sunglasses was sheathing their sword into their case that was in the shape of a shotgun. The bow wearing one was retracting the ribbon attached to their gun and put it away.

All three walked up to Ruby as she stared at them approaching. The odds of her seeing them here, no less all together, was something that even she couldn't believe. Among the vastness of this forest and among the five hundred students all scattered, her luck actually seemed to work. Without any hesitation, Ruby bowed to the newcomers.

"Hello, Blake, Ren, Adam."

"Ruby." They all simultaneously said.

 **And thus the eighth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT**

 **P.S. I am sorry for the long delay.**


	12. Chapter 9

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the ninth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: I cannot believe I have reached 23,000+readers. It truly makes my mind shocked to see so many people actually enjoying what I add here. Thank you all so much.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Slendersean for becoming the 200** **th** **follower**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Littlest1: Thank you for your review. Yes, Yang being Bi will play very well in this story as I have some plans with her because of it. Giving Ren some time to show his development is something I feel he needed. Despite him being a main character in canon, his background was covered all that much. As for Nora… there is a grand surprise that I am sure will shock some readers. Ruby has been through a lot and the tease was actually something I planned to bring them in together instead of having to find each other independently. Her partner is confirmed and it will be revealed in this chapter. As for the team name… I have one thing I wanna say about that. Prepare, that is all.**

 **To Authorofthefall: Its fine if you did not review before. Yes, my plan to rewrite was a very good effort strategy to make time for as now I feel I am working well within the path I set out for this story. I appreciate how this could relate to you. In fact this story is very relatable to me in some aspects and I wrote what I have seen and been through here.**

 **To EndlessChains: The loophole was certainly something I have thought about even when watching the canon series. IF one didn't like the person they didn't have to look into their eyes to be their partners. The way I portrayed Weiss was actually a risk I took, I did have two different ways of continuing her development with the story's progression, but I couldn't choose which one I wanted. So instead I merged both of them together and I think it worked out pretty well.**

 **To Yaksher: I appreciate you going out of your way to listen to the songs I had added. Also for your thoughts on Ruby, it may have seemed odd to you but when I wrote it, it was an interrogation to see what she was doing there and all. And when seeing the head master of her dream school you can understand how mix feelings would come out. However, I did make sure to have Ruby still be self-aware of her words and to be careful with her actions rather than her canon self simply blurting everything out with all sorts of emotions.**

 **To Imoshen88: I am sorry for the wait and I do aim to please. And Weiss' crush is more complicated than that and will be further explained in the future. As for the partnership… I know I felt bad writing things out like this but it just seemed the best method of bringing them all together. Now the partnerships will be created and the overall story will be moving at a much greater pace.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: Don't worry the partnership will sail immediately.**

 **To** **ArkD4v1d** **: I actually have something planned with the names of teams so stay tune for that.**

 **To N1ghtw0lf95: Thank you for actually thinking my writing was similar to Edgar Allen Poe, that is probably the nicest comment I received here yet. And the idea of Salem… I'm still figuring out what I can do in volume 2 XD but she will definitely get a huge role once I learn more about her in volume 4 (Which I am happy is getting darker, means more ideas for me)**

 **To Fear6010: While I respect all pairings, no matter how common or uncommon, I am afraid there will be no white rose in this fiction, or any pairings for that matter. (unless things change in my ideas, but I doubt it.)**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 9: Reunions

For as long as Ruby could remember, she was always on her own for long periods of time. And when she wasn't, the people around her, with the exception of Qrow, made her life a living hell. Never had she been able to trust anyone other than her mentor. Those she did in the past, broke that trust and violated her secrecy with a happy grin and excited tongue, spewing all that was not meant to be heard to the public ear.

Sometimes Ruby thought that it was all her own fault for being too naïve, too trusting for her own good. It was clear that trust was nonexistent and it was a curse to be different. She knew she was a freak to like the sort of things that she did. She supposed the insults were understandable to an extent.

Of course she would be labeled a freak for being attracted to the abnormal; it wasn't very common for someone to be so attached to the darkness, the night, or the gothic. These sort of subjects were looked upon as eldritch, taboo, forbidden, and evil. Many did not understand them thus fearing them.

Ruby knew the consequences she would face; and yet she continued to love them without batting an eye. She continued to enjoy the shades of black, the beauty of the moon, the eeriness of the night, and the excitement of the spooky and creepy realm of fiction and fantasy.

These thoughts weighed heavily on her young heart. She did not want to be the outcast; never did she want to be. Without fairness, the role fell to her because of how against the mundane and majority were towards the gothic and night. Many did not even realize the beauty behind it all. That it was a gift to see beauty in the darkness. A gift Ruby saw and loved with all her heart.

For years these judgments were made upon her and she endured them all because of her love. Teachers from Signal believed the whole thing as a phase and were confident that it will eventually leave her system thus acting like a normal girl one day. How very wrong they were. Instead of growing weaker, her love grew stronger; and the interests she had for these strange things became a passion that she could not live, or picture herself, without.

And so, she sealed her own fate; built up her walls, and prepared for the bombardment of insults, harassment, pain, and sorrow that she chose to accept rather than conform. As the years went by, the harder it got. Until her Uncle Qrow thought enough was enough and took the young girl under his wing.

In the beginning she was a broken mess, traumatized, vulnerable, and afraid. She was a failure and a mess to work with. Despite the difficulty, Qrow was determined and the years of training changed her. No more was she the timid, shy little girl that was always the prey. In her place, arose a calm, stoic, emotionless being that was now the predator. But no matter how far she progressed, the pain still remained; and trust was still an uncertainty for Ruby to obtain or even give, unless to the right people.

Now fast-forwarding into the present, standing right before her, in the middle of a grassy clearing, were three whom she never thought, in all her years, could lessen the title of strangers as they did since their meeting. Blake, Ren, and Adam were the very first few individuals Ruby felt at ease with. It was weird but comfortable to be able to talk to others after years of solitude. However, this feeling of ease only made her fearful. In the past, her trust had been betrayed more than once and she was not willing to make the same mistake twice.

She glanced at each of them, and felt an uncomfortable feeling inside. Somewhere deep within her conscience, there was a voice trying to reason with her decision. It spoke of moving on, change, and to make better opportunities in her life. While the thoughts were tempting, the pain of betrayal still plagued her mind and she did not know if she was ready to start trusting again. Especially with something serious as a partnership.

Ruby sighed. In the minimalist, they were indeed her comrades, all reaching for a common goal. While not fully comfortable with the idea of calling them… friends, as of yet, she confidently knew they were not her enemies. Whatever difference it made, whether trusting or not, they were the closest to ever receiving a modicum of respect from her; and she was willing to let them in just a little. While not exactly a leap of change into her new life, it was at least a small step. A spark, that would eventually ignite.

Ruby glanced at Ren, Blake, and Adam again, this time she looked into each of their eyes, despite Adam's sunglasses, and nodded to them. Any one of them could have been her partner and, in honesty, she would not have had a problem with either one. While trust was something she would have to work up to eventually, for now, she had a good positon to try with the creation of her first partnership. She was certain now that fate was indeed playing with her strings of destiny.

Ren was the first person she glanced to. Her silver eyes met his magenta. The two did not show any type of facial expression to each other but that was common. Ruby thought back at how he was the first person she, technically, met. He was calm, and silent much like herself. He was proper, and elegant, which Ruby admired, and seemed to have a good sense of honor and valor as a living being.

She then turned to Adam. His black sunglasses got in the way, but she could still picture looking into his crimson eyes. Adam was indeed an interesting one. From the moment she first looked into his eyes, she could see how distant they were. He has definitely seen his share of demons and she could relate. Even among his hardship, he was level headed, calm and had a competitive nature that could rival her own. Plus, he was a Faunus and she would have found them interesting to work with.

Finally, Ruby turned and looked into Blake's golden yellow eyes. From the moment she saw them, she thought of them relatable to a cat's. Even now it still does. Blake was no doubt the strong, silent type. She was vigilant and a woman of few words. She was certainly someone Ruby would have no problems with. The two already got along fairly well in the time they've known each other and a partnership would not change, but rather increase, their mutual respect for one another.

Sighing, Ruby crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. She felt she had waited long enough and wanted to know the answer to her question. She looked at them all with her best curious face.

"So," she started in a low tone. "Which one of you is my partner?"

Adam, Blake, and Ren quietly exchanged a few glances to one another then turned back to Ruby. With slow momentum, one of them took a single step forward and walked towards her. Ruby glanced at the advancer and acknowledged her new partner speechlessly approaching.

' _So it's you.'_ she thought and dropped the curious look on her face. It really shouldn't be all that surprising anyway.

As her partner stopped right in front of her, Ruby dropped her arms to her sides.

"I look forward to working with you Ruby."

She didn't respond at first and only nodded. If she was forced to work with someone, then at least it was someone she knew. Ruby slowly extended her hand outwards and looked up at the face of her partner.

' _It shouldn't be all this surprising but still… what are the odds.'_ She thought.

"As do I… Ren." Ruby gave him a small smile.

Ren looked into her eyes and nodded with a confidant shake in his hand as he gripped hers firmly. Though not verbally said, both knew the handshake they shared sealed their agreement as partners; an agreement neither felt displeased with. For Ren it was a long term agreement to work towards a common goal. For Ruby, it was the start of developing a good level of trust in people.

As the two shook, Ruby noticed, from the corner of her eye, Adam and Blake already approaching them. The four stood in an open circle where Ruby turned a good angle to have all three of them in her line of sight.

"I wanted to thank you all for your assistance earlier but it was not really required." She said and raised her hood.

Adam shrugged. "There is no doubt that you didn't" He said. "However we are still taking the exam so it's better that we save time."

Ren and Blake both nodded in agreement. Still on guard, Adam turned to the Beowulves' deceased corpses. A majority of their bodies were already completed in turning into rose petals as the wind gently carried them away.

He was always fascinated by this sort of sight, as well as curious. Why did the Grimm turn into rose petals? What was the connection between the two? The answers would most likely never be solved anytime soon and Adam felt he would probably never know in his lifetime. But whatever the meaning meant, it was still one of life's greatest mysteries and that was the fun in speculating. But that was a thought for another time.

"Besides, the scent of dead Beowulves will attract more to come and investigate. And I would rather not waste my time here if they find us." He said.

Ruby could hear the seriousness in his voice and glanced at the Beowulf corpses.

"Point taken." She sighed. "Speaking of finding, how did you all link up anyways?" She asked. It bewildered her when she first saw all three of them together. The fact that five hundred students were all sent into the forest at once, in multiple directions, seemed to make reuniting with those you knew almost impossible.

Ren didn't reply, nor did Adam. However, Ruby did notice Blake's shrug as she pointed to her step brother.

"Adam and I found each other first. We have tracking devices in our weapons to locate each other if needed." Adam nodded in confirmation.

"I see." Ruby raised a hand up to her chin. "Smart idea". She muttered. The idea was certainly a good one, it was no wonder they found each other so quickly and easily. She then turned to Ren. "And what about you?"

The long haired boy rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly. "They were the ones who found me." He answered truthfully.

Adam nodded and crossed his arms. "We heard gunfire not too far from our rendezvous. We were curious and decided to see what was happening."

"He was fighting an Ursa." Blake further explained. "After he defeated it, he noticed us and without a word, we simply began moving through the forest together."

"And that was how you stumbled upon me?" Ruby asked. Everyone nodded.

Whether it was sheer coincidence or luck, it didn't matter anymore. "Alright then." Ruby said and checked the time at her scroll.

They were already a half hour into the test and so far, she successfully acquired a partner; one who she could work with at that. It was off to a rough start but things seemed to settle down now. "Since we have already found our partners, we'd best make haste if we want to succeed."

"Then we should head to the location Professor Ozpin mentioned." Said Blake.

Adam raised a hand up to his chin. "Where do we even start looking?"

"The headmaster said the location was east of the cliff side." Said Ruby. "But which way is east." She wondered and began to think.

While Ruby thought of the directions, Adam started thinking of the routes they could take. Many were very similar and weren't that trust worthy without a proper map of the surroundings. If they were to move, they would be walking almost blind. He looked over to Blake, and witnessed her narrowing her eyes at the ground. It seemed she was having no luck either.

With everyone else occupied in their thoughts. Ren looked up and studied the angle of the sun. He stared it's positon for a few seconds before closing his eyes. He mentally calculated their positon and the designated location Headmaster Ozpin recommended, including the sun's angle. It took him a few seconds before putting the pieces together.

' _Thank you survival guidebooks. I knew it was not a waste of currency.'_ He nodded to himself and cleared his throat.

"The sun is rising east." He said earning everyone's attention. "Our examination spot, was pointed south of the school and 220 meters up the slope."

Ruby was confused at first but after thinking about it, she quickly caught on. "Which means the launch pads were located in… the southwest of the school's perimeter."

Ren nodded. "The cliff side was at a forty-five-degree angle facing away from the school. Our launchings sent us in the adjacent direction."

"Meaning we were launched northeast into the Emerald forest." Adam added on, now understanding.

Again Ren nodded.

"I remember spotting the cliff side a good distance from here in that direction." Blake said and pointed behind herself.

Adam narrowed his eyes and fixed his sunglasses. "So if that direction is southwest then…"

"Then east is to our right." Ruby finished. "Good work Ren."

Ren nodded and bowed gracefully. He was mentally pleased with himself.

The four wasted no time in sprinting out of the clearing and into the trees. They traveled quickly in the direction Ruby pointed to and decided to play it safe midway.

Without a word, they each jumped onto trees and began jumping tree branch to tree branch with Ren taking the lead followed by Ruby, Blake, and Adam bringing up the rear. The idea was to be safer on higher ground rather than on the surface floor.

They moved one after another in a single line, fast and silently along the way. They kept their landings on the branches as brief and quiet as possible to avoid drawing any attention. Ruby was pleased with how easy things were going so far. She was especially pleased with how smooth their mobility was. She would not lie, part of her felt weird but intrigued to be traveling in a group. It felt similar to the time she ran with the local wolf pack in her home forest one autumn night all those years ago. It was a memorable time moving cunning and swiftly through the silence of the forest. Only this time, she was with people, not animals.

However, it didn't take long for the silence of the Emerald Forest to end. As they ventured east, every now and again, they would hear gunfire and explosions in distant directions. At first it seemed minor, but the further they traveled, the louder the noises grew. It didn't help when the noises sounded closer as well.

"Do you all hear that?" Adam asked as he jumped towards a new branch.

Blake looked slightly back at her brother. "Do you mean the gunfire and explosions?" she asked. He nodded.

"The sounds of battle have grown closer the more we move. It must be steadily growing." Ren said, jumping another branch.

Ruby narrowed her eyes and looked around. She too had been wondering about the sounds of combat since she started hearing them. It was minor but then grew louder, and even closer, to their location despite them moving. Ren was indeed correct much to her dislike, the sounds of battle were certainly arising and whatever it was, they could be potentially crossing paths. She didn't like it at all.

"I can only surmise our fellow students are engaging the enemy." She said and flipped over a short branch.

Blake grew cautious. Her senses were already on high alert and thanks to her gifted abilities, she would be able to detect any soundwaves near them if anything drew close. She turned and looked at Adam. She knew he too was on guard and if anything was to come out, he would spot it with his almost perfect vision. One of the reasons for being deadly when fighting together.

"What do you think they could be fighting." She wondered out loud.

"It could be anything," Adam replied. "The whole damn forest is infested with Grimm so who knows what could be lurking out here." The thought did not ease anyone's mind.

"I see something up ahead!" Ren called out and narrowed his eyes. "Everyone, land!"

Immediately, Ruby, Blake, and Adam followed Ren's example and jumped down onto the grass with soft thumps coming from their shoe's landing. Everyone remained crouched and silently hid behind a few trees trunks near them.

There were no noises or threats detects so Ruby peaked out and glanced ahead to see what Ren found. When she looked over, she narrowed her eyes at what she saw.

"Damn… this might be a problem." She muttered. Blake and Adam looked out as well and both silently agreed.

In front of them laid a large, wide clearing full of tall, thin grass reaching lengths of three to four feet. This field made the clearing Ruby was in previous look miniature at a best. Every grass curved to the left, letting none of the group see how brown the dirt and soil was below. Around the field were boulders of various sizes, some coated in moss, scattered across the clearing along with a few shrubs and bushes.

Ruby gazed around with cautious eyes. While it was free of any trees, the area seemed surprisingly dark despite it being morning and with very few clouds in the sky. That was when she looked up to see a wall of tree branches, covering the sky allowing selected spots to shine some sunlight through.

"Doesn't that look ominous." Muttered Adam.

On the other side of the clearing, Ruby could see the other side of the forest they needed to proceed through; the only way to get to it was going over a small grassy slope on the other side of the field. The only problem would be going through the long grass.

Any amateur warrior, or traveler would simply cross it without a second thought. It did look relatively danger free. But to the untrained eye, things might not always be as it seems in a forest crawling with creatures of darkness. Even the simplest of things could easily be illusions for something far more dangerous.

' _Just like how Uncle Qrow said to use your vulnerable state as a weapon of deception.'_ Thought Ruby.

Blake inspected both ends of the field. The area was too wide to go around without wasting time and the only logical thing to do was to go through it. She mentally sighed at the thought. Her instincts were throwing red flags at her, but they had to reach the location fast and there may not have been any other way.

Ren examined the ground to see if anything was there, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he noticed something roundish and white a few inches in front of him. It looked thick, and hard, with part of it slightly submerged beneath the ground. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down to inspect it as Adam and Ruby moved up to see it as well.

Blake stood up and kept vigilant around them. Without hesitation, Ren reached down and plucked the white roundish thing out of the ground. The material felt warm, and dry. Some parts of it even felt similar to a fingernail while the rest was slightly bumpy. He examined it closer, tilting it in all angles and after comparing it with many mental images, he realized what it was and narrowed his eyes.

"What is that?" Ruby quietly asked.

"This," Ren held it higher for everyone to see. "Is a reptile scale."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible. There is no reptile on Remnant with scales that big."

"You are correct." Ren replied. "Not a normal reptile. But perhaps… something worse."

Blake sighed as she crossed her arms. "Well doesn't that sound… delightful." She said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "So, what's our plan?"

Ruby stood up and wiped some grass stains off her leggings. "There is no choice; we have to cross through or risk losing the relics to others."

Blake and Adam both shared grim faces. They didn't like the idea of crossing, neither did Ren. But they knew there was no other alternative.

With a displeasing sigh, Adam stood and gripped his weapon firmly. "Well I guess there's no way around it."

Ren stared at the scale for a few seconds longer before tucking it away in his back pocket. He rose and summoned Storm Flower where he proceeded to check his magazines. Blake had already retracted her weapon from her back and waited patiently to proceed.

Despite the tension in the air, Ruby couldn't help but admire both Blake and Adam's weapons. She wasn't able to see them well enough before the exam, so seeing them up close now sparked some admiration in their designs.

Adam was holding an abnormal sword case with the scabbard shaped in the hind form of a gun. There was also a trigger guard and trigger right near the cord of the weapon. Ruby had to commend him on the creativity but wondered how the weapon would fire if used as a sheath for that sword.

' _Perhaps he will let me examine it one day.'_ She thought.

She then turned to Blake. Her weapon was indeed more complex than Adam's. While it was assembled with the same advanced craftsmanship as his, Ruby could see the smaller details indicating the weapon to be a modified black sword that was collapsible into a ballistic chain scythe with a pistol built into its hilt. The black sheath, she had with it, was flat and rectangular and had a sharp edge on one side with a small handle on the other on the bottom corner. All together the sheath and sword looked similar to that of an oversized cleaver.

The large variety of weapon choices within one package impressed Ruby. While a common design would be a collaboration of one close quarter and one firing weapon, the idea of four weapons in one seemed surreal and yet astonishing.

While Ruby thought more on the topic of weapons, Ren had just finished loading one of his Storm Flowers with a fresh new magazine. He stared at the clearing again. There was a feeling of uncertainty running through his head. In a forest full of Grimm, one never knew what kind of evil dorms until it reveals itself. It was then that he got an idea, not a good one per say but one that would play efficient enough; if done correctly.

"Alright, let's go." Said Adam and slowly began to move. Ruby and Blake followed right behind until Ren extended a hand preventing Adam from proceeding past him.

"I think I should go first." he whispered. "Alone."

He felt all eyes staring at him. Not that he didn't expect that.

"That sounds… incredibly risky." Said Blake. She gave him an unsure look.

In honesty moving alone through a field of tall grass was a perfect set up for an ambush. No escape, no cover, potentially surrounded, you would have been a sitting target. She would know. She had experienced that well enough, from both ends.

Ren understood Blake's statement and nodded. "It is better to risk one than the whole lot."

Adam scoffed at the answer. "We still don't know what's out there." he argued. "You could be potentially walking to your death going alone."

Ren nodded and sighed. He understood the tension this choice brought but it did not sway his decision. He gave Adam a slight smile. "Do not worry, I have no intention of dying just yet."

Ruby looked back and forth at all three of her comrades. The decision did indeed seem risky, but still she had to put in her own two cents into the thought.

"The idea is hazardous but… it is possible that there might not even be something there." The idea was doubtful but it was still an idea.

Ren, Blake, and Adam all turned to Ruby with blunt looks on their faces. The emotionless expressions were clear enough on what they thought of her idea.

Sighing, Ruby shrugged. "Just a thought." She muttered.

"It was a worthy spark of hope Ruby, but I have a plan." Ren said. Everyone started paying closer attention. "I will take point up ahead, towards the middle of the field. No Grimm would pass on the chance of a lone prey. Whatever roams the tall grass will come at me with excitement and once it appears, I can take care of it. Should anything look too difficult for me to handle alone, I will call for your assistance."

Adam and Ruby looked at each other while Blake raised an eyebrow. Each still had a doubtful look on their faces but Ren gave them all a reassuring smile. "Trust me, it will work."

No one replied. So with a brief nod, Ren turned and slowly walked into the tall grass, alone. The rest could only stand there and watch silently.

When he entered, Ren could not sense any movement. His pace was slow and, aside from the cracking of grass below each step he took, there was no sound to be heard. He could hear his own heartbeat; it thumped slow and steady. It was essential that he remained calm in times like these. If not, his fear and excitement would cloud his rational thinking thus leaving him a vulnerable state where death would rise in percentage.

He was almost towards the center now and so far, nothing seemed to react. No grass movement, no wind changing, and no sound vibration. Just when the thought of the area actually being cleared crossed his mind, he stopped. He was only eight or nine steps away from being halfway through the tall grass too. He felt an odd vibration. It was faint but he was sure it was there. Ren stood still as a board.

' _I know you are in here. But where...?'_ That was when the back of Ren's neck stood up and an odd sensation crawled through his stomach.

It was a familiar feeling in all honesty; one he had encountered during his last day living in the forest. It was difficult to explain but it was similar to the feeling of being watched. His eyes darted back and forth. There was still no movement that he could see. But he was now hearing something new, a hissing sound and it was coming from right behind him.

It was quiet at first but then grew louder and louder. The sound even rose above him where it echoed through the air. Ren dared not to make any sudden movement. The temptation to look behind him could easily cause many mistakes.

There was movement now. Rumbling noises that slightly vibrated the ground. The movement generated some wind that blew against his pants. Whatever moved behind him seemed to be stacking a great deal of height and yet did not cause a ruckus. It acted like a silent giant. And this grew curiosity in Ren.

Suddenly, his curiosity ceased when the hissing stopped and turned into a low growl that echoed making it sound louder than it actually was. And the next thing Ren knew, all he could see was black.

Ruby, Blake, and Adam were watching Ren intently as he walked through the grass slowly. His stance was cautious and guarded, eyeing everything around him carefully before taking another step.

Blake had to commend his courage for facing the potential dangers for the rest of them. Despite still being a stranger to her and the others, he seemed to have a good heart. He was not just a piece of eye candy after all, he actually had personality and even care behind his expressionless face. And yet within his eyes, Blake could always spot the signs of great sadness in the boy's magenta irises. While it wasn't any of her business really, but she couldn't help relating to them. There really was more than meets the eye.

Adam was watching Ren's movement with hawk like eyes. He didn't like how insisting he was with testing the dangers for strangers he barely knew. He would normally call someone like this an idiot. But he could not really think of Ren like that, mostly because that would make him a hypocrite. Memories of his youth swelled Adam's mind as he remembered the days he would spend looking out for Blake when they were children. He was always the one to face many trials to protect her, to ensure that she never had to. Even with the situation being different now, Adam couldn't help but give respect to Ren's decision.

When Ren started walking, Ruby immediately summoned her Crescent Rose and jammed the scythe into the ground, deep enough to become sturdy. She locked in on Ren's body and was scoping around his personal space. While the two had known each other the longest, at least more than the others, they still had long ways to go before earning one another's trust. However, his little action did give him slightly more than a modicum of respect from her. Even if he was still a stranger, he was her partner now and his life was her responsibility; just like hers was his. That was possibly one of the reasons why he is doing this now.

The fact that he was this kind was intriguing to Ruby. She had heard stories from her uncle about partnerships and teams that formed unbreakable bonds. These bonds represented how they fought to the bitter end together; some even dying for one another. He often said compassion and care would come from being on a team and could ultimately build you to be a better person. However, it would still be the greatest challenge in keeping and if not careful, it could lead to hardships one might not be ready for.

' _Is this an example of compassion… or care?'_ Ruby wondered as she stared at Ren's back. Whatever the answer was, she doubted even understanding it.

Suddenly, her wonder ceased when Ruby noticed something peculiar coming from the grass. It was moving on its own but she did not sense anything beneath it other than Ren's presence, nor did she see any abnormal movement. And then, without a sound, she saw something big, shrouded in black.

' _Oh no.'_ Her eyes narrowed.

She held her breath, watching as it rose with a low hissing sound that grew louder the higher it rose. Its height far surpassed Ren's body and he was now completely gone from her line of sight; blocked off behind this towering monstrosity as its length amazed Ruby. On the back of its head she easily recognized the Grimm Markings, symbols that were still a mystery today as it was for ancient civilizations. They covered the entire top of white boned plates, said to be ten times stronger than human bones, protruding from its wide, flat head.

Ruby was both amazed and concerned. She had only read about this particular Grimm in the books she kept or the tales her Uncle told her of his adventures. She had never even seen one in person until now but the name was still something she would never forget.

' _So this is a King Taijitu. Uncle Qrow was not lying when he said this Grimm was a towering snake.'_ She exhaled her breath and raised her scythe's scope to the Grimm's head.

The beast simply stood there and towered over Ren eyeing him down like a small rat. She couldn't tell if he knew it was behind him. The tree branches darkened the area so shadows could not form below them. Then it growled and slithered its body to the left wrapping itself around Ren's space so he could not escape.

Instinctively, Ruby cocked her weapon, aimed for the Grimm's head and prepared to fire until Adam placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned in confusion and saw Adam shaking his head. He didn't want her to shoot?

She raised an eyebrow in slight disarray. Was he really not going to aid Ren? It somewhat angered her and was about to reply until he spoke in a low voice. "Let's wait and observe first."

Ruby stopped and pondered the thought deeply. She was greatly against the idea of leaving Ren to fight alone. He was a comrade and fellow student, but more than that, he was her partner and she would not forgive herself if she stood by while an ally's death could have been prevented.

"Are we seriously considering just sitting here while a comrade fights for his life?" She asked, sounding a little more aggressive than she intended. "That is not an ordinary Grimm."

"Your misunderstanding Little Red." Adam replied, there was no anger in his voice, rather he sounded calm. "I would help him of course, but he said he for us to wait and will call to us if he needs us. I am simply obeying what he requests at the moment."

Ruby could see the Taijitu moving around Ren, faster now, as its body began to spiral upwards into a circular tower of itself. She slightly gritted her teeth. She wanted to fire but in the back of her mind she knew Adam was right. Ren did say he will notify them for help but he did say to also trust him. While she could still only imagine the "what ifs" of worst case scenarios, with a heavy resistance Ruby nodded and slowly lowered her scope.

"I hope you know what your deciding." She muttered and sighed.

Adam nodded and turned back to the battle, already retracting his hand off her shoulder. "Believe me, I am only putting my trust in his plan. He is a hunter in training like us, we should never doubt his skills for that is an insult."

That statement made Ruby nod once more with a frown. She knew all too well that, that was something deeply relatable and she felt disgusted with herself for doubting Ren's abilities without even seeing them yet. Even after years of training she still had much to learn. She mentally noted an apology to Ren and a thank you to Adam when the time was right.

As the beast continued spiraling around, Ruby couldn't tell what Ren was doing. The Taijitu's head now started looking down the center where Ren would be standing and roared as it exposed its blood red eyes and large, thin fangs.

' _Ren, what is your next move?'_ Wondered Ruby and as if her question was answered, the long haired boy suddenly came into view.

 ** _(Combat Music Start: Emphatic - Stronger)_**

He jumped out from the Taijitu's spiraling body encircling him and into the sky where the Grimm shrieked in surprise and anger. In a desperate attempt to restrain it's prey, the Taijitu lunged towards Ren with its mouth wide open. Ren predicted this and twirled to the left allowing him to kick the beast's jaw with enough force to shove it away. It fell to the floor and flailed its body for a few seconds causing it to entangled itself.

As Ren landed, Ruby had to admit that the timing could not be any more perfect; he waited for the right time to strike and even had the element of surprise for a brief few seconds to stun the Grimm. She glanced atAdam who was merely watching with crossed arms and then to Blake who was eyeing Ren's every move. She herself turned back when the Taijitu roared.

Within seconds the Grimm lunged again as Ren he took a defensive stance. When its head was dangerously close, Ren back flipped away as the Taijitu's face implanted the ground, creating a small crater where Ren stood. It shook off the debris with little effort and was on the offensive again, it caused the Grimm little damage.

Ren back flipped again to avoid a bite that nearly grasped him and then again once more to gain some distance. However, the beast was faster this time and charged towards Ren with intense speed. Knowing there was no time to dodge, Ren curled himself into a tight defense with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs bent up. Successfully, the Grimm rammed its head into the boy's defenses where it's sheer strength knocked Ren back a few yards. His body spun out of control for a few seconds before making an abrasive landing.

His heels grinded into the grass as he bent forward to slow himself down. Finally stopping, Ren looked up and noticed the Taijitu was not letting up in it's attack. Once again it was encircling him but this time it was closing itself entirely in hopes of crushing him. Without thinking, Ren summoned Storm Flower and jumped out of it's spiral body again. He jumped higher than before and starting firing rounds below into the Grimm's head. The bullets offered some aid as a few punctured its body while the rest simply bounced off its boney armor.

Growing enraged the Taijitu thrusted only to be kicked in it's jaw by Ren again. However, the impact wasn't as strong as before. The beast was not surprised this time so it's recoil lessened as it landed on the ground. Ren only had a few seconds to do serious damage and rushed the monster's body. He jumped and twirled near its neck slashing, creating two gashes on it's left side. The pain caused the beast to roar and used its head to push Ren away as it slithered around him. Ren eyed it carefully as it gained momentum on it's speed and circled back around to strike. With precision timing, he leaped backwards as the Grimm's head impacted the ground creating a larger crater than before.

Realizing the Taijitu's head was slightly stuck under a few loads of dirt, Ren took the chance and directed his landing above it's head. With a smooth move he landed on the Grimm's flat cranium and stabbed both weapons into its neck. The injury actually hit it's nerve and paralyze it temporarily where it couldn't even muster the smallest movement. As it laid there the Grimm was full of Rage and with one last bit of strength, it hissed a loud cry that echoed through the forest. Ren raised an eyebrow before he felt rumbling behind him.

Adam, Blake, and Ruby all watched with intrigue. There was no doubt that Ren was good, perhaps even better than they expected. Ruby was silently relieved that he was victorious, she had indeed found a good partner. However, she really did owe him an apology for doubting him. Despite not really thinking or saying it, her actions did show that she doubted his skills. He was trained well and knew when to use certain tactics to his advantage. She made note to be mindful of her actions even further.

Blake, while not showing it, was indeed impressed with the fluidity in his fighting style. He used his overall body as a weapon and seemed well trained in fighting midair, close quarters, and long range. In a sense they both fought in similar styles and she had to admit, she wanted to know more about his training and would ask him one day.

Adam nodded, to himself, in approval. At first he was a bit unsure if Ren could pull it off; but he surprised them all when he showed great decision making and tactical moves on the battlefield. It was nice to see he was no stranger to combating Grimm and had some bit of experience in fighting larger opponents. With the Grimm, disabled, Ruby was ready to walk out into the clearing to join Ren, but she then stopped when a realization hit her. Something extremely important that she read about King Taijitu.

' _When in contact, there's never just one of them.'_ She remembered.

That was the moment when they all heard the fallen Grimm's sudden cry and felt rumbling a few seconds after. Then, they saw something massive and white appear out from the ground directly behind Ren.

Narrowing his eyes, Ren turned slightly behind him when he heard hissing. He gritted his teeth and turned fully around when he came in contact with a new King Taijitu. This one was essentially the white half inverse of the black one. It too had large, blood-red eyes; however, the bony covering on the top of its head was deep gray with the same red markings as the black one.

The new Taijitu rushed the long haired boy off of it's fellow Grimm's head as it hissed in anger. Ren gained some distance away and saw that the White Taijitu was injecting something into the black one with it's fangs. Soon enough the black one began to rise and the two were cuddling each other as they hissed towards Ren.

' _This might be a problem.'_ Ren thought and narrowed his eyes.

Then without waiting, both Taijitu charged. With little options, Ren charged as well and jumped onto the black one, gliding along the beast's back, shooting it everywhere. The jolts of pain irritated the Grimm as it tried intensely to shake him off. Yet Ren still maintained his balance and kept shooting as his bullets penetrated the soft tissue of it's body causing it to roar.

As he fired, the white Taijitu rushed alongside the gliding Ren and tried to bite him. It narrowly missed as he twirled over it and slashed its neck causing the Grimm to flinch in pain. It was only temporary as it returned to aid it's fellow Grimm once more. Waiting for the right moment to strike, the white one cleverly hid behind part of its body as Ren shot it. Ignoring the pain, the white Taijitu thrusted it's head forward, sending a direct hit into Ren's abdomen and knocking him into the grass while dropping his weapons.

Ren tumbled onto the ground and coughed slightly as the impact knocked the wind out of him. He gently rubbed his stomach as he got to his knees. Thanks to his aura he activated previous to the battle, he felt little pain but still the loss of air was enough to distract him from both creatures of Grimm. As he raised his head up, Ren could see the black one turning and immediately going for the kill. It's mouth hung wide open and ready to swallow him whole. There was barely any time to dodge leaving him defenseless.

' _Oh no.'_ Ren thought as he jumped to his feet and raised his hands towards the black Taijitu.

Suddenly an explosion was heard and impacted next to the black Grimm which caused it to lose its focus for a few seconds. This allowed Ren to channel into his Goddess' Gloves. The lotus symbols on the gloves forehand started to glow pink and soon the tips of his fingers and palms were also emitting pink light. As the beast cleared it's head and lunged again, Ren was ready this time. He activated his gloves and out came a barrier of pink light that glowed brighter as soon as the Black Taijitu's fangs came into contact with Ren's hands.

Both sides pushed with all their might. The Taijitu was confused and angered as to why the prey wasn't dead yet while Ren remained calmed and held his ground. The aura barrier that he created was maintaining quite well but he could not keep it up forever. So when the Grimm lowered itself near the ground he got an idea as he stared into those blood-red soulless eyes.

Waiting just a little longer, the beast lowered itself more and when it was within range, Ren deactivated his barrier, causing the beast to tumble slightly forward, grabbing the two front fangs of the Taijitu and, with amazing speed and strength, pulled them out from the Grimm's mouth. It roared in pain as Ren gripped the fangs as replacement weapons. Despite the injury the Taijitu rushed forward still determined to end Ren's life. However, with the wound affecting its concentration it was far too slow thus allowing Ren to spin to the side and jam one of its own fangs deep within its right eye. It shrieked with agonizing pain as Ren moved in to finish it off.

Leaning slight back, Ren's right hand recoiled back as he channeled his aura into his right palm. And within a few seconds he thrusted his palm forward into the fang and with great force, sent it directly into, and then through, the Grimm. The Taijitu head started to swelled up from within until it exploded into pieces of itself everywhere as they all started turning into rose petals Ren felt proud but his work was not over as he turned to the remaining White Taijitu.

He got into a defensive position as the Grimm and himself stared each other down. The beast seemed a little hesitant but in it's blind rage from the death of its fellow Taijitu, it rushed.

Ren braced himself until he heard a gunshot that impacted the Taijitu and sent it tumbling to it's side. He turned to his left and saw Ruby crouching with her sniper locked onto the Grimm as Blake and Adam rushed it.

Seeing new prey, the Taijitu quickly recovered and rushed towards Blake who back flipped away as Adam rolled to the side, stabbing his blade into the beast's right side and ran cutting through it's body. Ruby continued to shoot the vital areas of it's face to keep it from attacking Adam as Blake jumped onto its back and started slicing it.

Ren took this oppertunity to sprint towards his weapons and picked them up. He quickly examined them to make sure they were fine and ran back to join the fray. At this point Adam had cut a completely straight line down it's side as Blake did the same with its back. The Taijitu roared and shook its entire body to get them off. It was in excruciating pain and would not stop its shrieking and hissing. It rose it's head and tried to move but Ruby already jumped towards it as she activated her weapon's scythe mode and slashed its neck creating a large gash showing nothing but black inside it's body. The Taijitu grew furious and tried to ram Ruby but she disappeared within a flash leaving some rose petals in her place. It was sign to the Grimm, letting it know that, that was what it will become soon enough.

As the Grimm's head collided with the ground, the impact created another crater. Ren took this opportunity to jump on its head and stabbed his weapons into the beast's neck like he did the last one. Only this time, there will be no third Taijitu to save it.

"Everyone now" Ren yelled and leaped high off the Grimm.

Adam, Blake, and Ruby knew what he meant and they all rushed the Taijitu. Adam used his sword to slice part of it's left face off. Blake ran after him an activated her weapon's sword form and slice part of its right. The Grimm could not even cry in pain as it knew it was ultimately defeated. Ruby dashed forward and jumped as she slashed the top of the Taijitu's body splitting it open in two. Ren was finally about to land from his leap and aimed down towards the dying Taijitu. Having already retracted his weapons, Ren's left palm glowed pink as he fell toward the Grimm. With incredible force Ren sent his palm into what was left of the Taijitu and watched as it exploded into pieces.

It was over and the Taijitu was now turning to hundreds of rose petals. It was over with them being victorious.

 _ **(Combat Music End)**_

As the wind carried the fallen Grimm, Ren started to dust himself off as Ruby, Blake, and Adam all walked up to him. They were already putting their weapons away and stood in a small circle facing one another.

"Good job Ren." Ruby said and raised her hood up. She adjusted her weapon behind her and wiped some grass stains off her shoulder. "Your tactics and power proved incredible."

Ren smiled a little and bowed for her commending. "Thank you Ruby." He said, a little out of breath. Aura was definitely no simple thing to use for attack moves and that one particular move was still new.

"She was not the only one you impressed." Said Adam and nodded to him. "Your aura levels were interesting to watch. I'm actually amazed to see such power within it."

"It was very impressive." Blake said and actually gave Ren a smile.

Ren bowed again, this time to all three as he finally caught his breath. "Thank you all." It was then that he remembered something. "I also wanted to thank whoever summoned that explosion when I was facing the black Taijitu. It was extremely helpful and bought me some time to channel my aura."

Ruby, Adam, and Blake all glanced at one another in confusion and with raised eyebrows. There was a brief silence as they all slowly turned back to Ren.

"None of us created any explosion." Said Ruby.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked confusedly.

"It's true." Blake said and crossed her arms. "We haven't moved from our spot until it was just you and the White Taijitu left."

Ren was confused and pondered this. "So… none of you created an explosion?" He wanted to be absolutely sure.

"I'm afraid not." Adam replied.

Ren nodded and the question bothered him. If they didn't do it, then who did.

Suddenly there was rustling in the trees above them. All four of the group immediately rose their guard up. Their hands were already hovering over their weapons as they stood in defensive positions in case of another Grimm attack. They certainly didn't need another one as they wanted to get to the designated location before long.

After a few seconds the rustling stopped and then something jumped down and landed right in from them. It was a person, a female more specifically. She slowly rose to her feet and glanced at the group. Ruby, Blake, and Adam, simply glanced back at her but Ren's eyes were widened. Even a small gasp escaped his lips causing the other to look at him.

Now the girl was no longer looking at them all, only Ren. Both stared into each other's eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of tears and Ren couldn't believe who he was looking at. It has been a long time since he last spoke to her, or even see her for that matter, months upon months, and yet he always thought about her during his time in exile. She hasn't even changed one bit. Still having the same short hairstyle for her orange hair that always matched her bright turquoise colored eyes.

It pained him a little to see those same eyes looking very watery. Her clothing was still a crazy mix and match of some sort, with different colors and themes. Ren supposed it was the perfect style for someone like her. She was wearing a collared black vest that ends at her waist. Her signature emblem, a hammer with a lightning bolt, imprinted on the back. Under the vest were two layers of clothing, colored red and light-blue respectively. She wore a white sleeveless top that forms a tiny heart shape in-between her cleavage and collarbone, with a white detached sleeve on each arm. She had matching fingerless gloves on each hand and sported a pink skirt that starts at the waist and ends mid-thigh. She had white mesh leggings on and her shoes were a mix of pink and white with pink laces, displaying her emblem on their soles. Wrapped around her skirt was that turquoise bow that matched her eyes exactly. The only new feature she had on was actually some armor that begins in the middle of her shoulder and neck and ended by the waist.

Ren took a step forward and so did the girl. Ruby, Blake, and Adam all watched silently and were wondering who this girl was and if he knew her. Neither of the two said a word but Ren couldn't help but smile warmly at her. That was enough to let the tears drip from her face as she covered her mouth. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ren spoke first.

"Nora," he said. Hearing him say her name sent shivers of happiness down the girl's spine as the tears started to fall faster. "I am so glad to see you again-"

"REN!" Nora couldn't take it anymore and screamed the boy's name so loud that it echoed for miles and cause everyone, including Ren himself, to flinch.

And before the long haired boy knew it, he was tackled to the ground a few yards away from everyone else receiving the hardest, biggest, and most painful hug of his entire life.

"REN I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Nora cried and embraced him tighter. She bawled into Ren's jacket, crying and screaming out of happiness as Ren simply embraced her as well and nuzzled into her hair. A part of him felt like crying but he didn't. He was simply happy to see his childhood friend once again.

Nora continued her sobbing while taking in short breaths of air. She cried for many reasons, mostly because of the last memory she had of Lie Ren. The last time she had ever seen him. She still remembered him lying on the ground beaten, nearly to death, and covered in blood as she was dragged off never to see him again. The very last thing he gave her was his signature thumbs up before he faded from her view. Recalling those memories made her cry harder into her chest. The days that went by without him after his exile sent Nora into a great depression without her best friend. She wasn't the same jolly person after he left. She turned quiet and emotionless, spending all her time in her room crying, sitting… and even cutting but then stopped over time.

With the months going by, her life slowly, very slowly, started to return to normal with the greatest of help from Ren's honorable elder. If it wasn't for her, Nora feared she would not be of this world anymore. She was even one of the reasons why Nora was even in Beacon now and she was just glad to be reunited with her best friend once more.

As a little bit of time went by Ren continued to silently rub Nora's back. She had finally stopped her heavy crying and was now whimpering in happiness. Ruby, Blake, and Adam merely watched with no apparent thought in their minds. It was clear that the girl knew him, and from the look of it, they must have been very close for her to react the way she did.

Finally, with a soft sigh, Ren tapped Nora on the shoulder causing her to look up at him. Her eyes were blood red and his heart sank but then rose when he realized she was smiling at him.

"Nora," he started slowly. "I missed you as well. But I think we should get up now."

Nora wiped her eyes and looked at him with a grin. He didn't change at all from the last time she saw him. She missed him dearly and missed how fun it was to joke and tease him. His reactions were always the best. She then got an idea and started hummed like she was mimicking thinking. Then she replied with a goofy grin.

"Nope, sorry my little black sloth but I haven't hugged you in months so this has to make up for it!" She giggled and nuzzled into his chest.

Ren sighed and shook his head with internal amusement. She was still the same as before. A part of him even felt happy to hear her call him by the long time nickname she gave him when they were kids. But the other part still hoped she wouldn't stay on him. The armor she wore was actually heavy.

Ren cleared his throat as he rubbed her back once more. "Fine… how long will that take?"

"SIX MONTHS!" Nora exclaimed as she raised a fist in the air. She gave him a toothy grin and winked.

A slight twitch moved in Ren's right eye. She was definitely back to her old self again alright. "Nora… you can't hug me for six months."

"Why not?! Sloths hug trees all the time. Hell even baby sloths hug their mothers for years!"

"That isn't comparable to humans."

"GASP REN, are you trying to say I can't be a sloth!" she lightly hit him on the shoulder.

"No Nora, I merely wish for us to get off the ground."

"Does that mean you wanna build a tree house and live among the sloths like we always talked about?!" She even sounded excited at her own thought.

"You mean YOU always talked about, and please Nora you're actually crushing my back."

"Oh no mister you are not changing the topic like that!"

"Nora… I can't feel my sides from your grip."

"That reminds me… have you finally been working out? Cause I'm feeling your hips right now and they feel as hard as rock!" She actually blushed when she felt gripped them.

"Nora…"

"I mean do you feel these things!" Nora squeezed Ren's hips causing him to wince. She then turned around towards Ruby, Blake, and Adam. "Hey you guys have got to feel his sides! He is really hard!... that's what she said!"

Nora high fived herself and started laughing at her own joke while the group simply stared at her. They could only look on in sympathy for Ren as he looked blue from having that girl crushing his hips right now.

"Nora… please I can't take it… you're too heavy." Ren begged.

"That's what she said- wait did you just call me fat!"

"NORA!"

Ruby couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the whole conundrum. Blake noticed this and turned to the red hooded girl.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Ruby simply shook her head. As the girl known as Nora started shaking Ren up and down explaining her diet in detail, and how she wasn't fat.

She didn't reply at first and merely sighed. "Nothing just… she reminds me of my sister…"

Blake visibly winced and nodded in understanding. She didn't say anything else and simply watched Nora trying to get Ren to pay attention to her.

' _Now there's two of them.'_ Ruby thought and prayed that Yang never meet Nora.

After a few minutes had gone by, Nora finally got off, much to Ren's relief, and was swaying side to side while Ren dusted himself off. When he was sure he was completely dust free, he turned to Nora.

"Now listen Nora, I assume your attending Beacon correct?"

Nora nodded enthusiastically. "Yes sir I am! Isn't this great now we can see each other 24/7?! Well not really because you know… sleep and classes and… stuff like bathroom breaks- wait we have co-ed baths! That means we really can always be together- but not together–together, not that you're not handsome! You are handsome and the perfect student… while im just… ya know… me!" She laughed awkwardly and tried to hide the blush on her face by flailing her arms around. "Not to mention you have really nice hair and…those legs…."

"What was the Nora?"

The orange haired girl panicked and shook her head vigorously." N-nothing nothing, you heard nothing! Uh so… what were we talking about again?"

Ren sighed as he shook his head. "We were talking about Beacon and the exam Nora. You know we are taking an exam right now correct?"

The bubbly orange haired girl crossed her arms and grinned. "Of course I do silly! Why else would they fling us off those launcher things and bring us here? To climb trees?! Actually that sounds kinda fun!"

"She has a point there." Adam muttered. And everyone looked at him as he raised an eyebrow. "I meant everything besides the last part." He clarified, though he did secretly enjoy climbing trees himself. Ren simply nodded and continued.

"As long as you know what's going on Nora that's good. But we do have to carry out some assignments in order for us to pass. Such as finding certain relics to have and finding partners."

Nora gasped and brought her hands to her cheeks. "I almost forgot about my partner!"

Ren nodded in understanding. "Yes we have to find partners Nora. Now I am very sorry but… I already have a partner. I did not even know you were here in all honesty and I hope you will not become too upset."

Ruby felt slightly awkward about this situation. She never wanted to become a third wheel and she certainly did not want to cause any bad blood between people. Well other than Weiss.

Nora simply shook her head as she waved the worry away. "Oh don't worry Ren, I totally get it! I didn't know about you being here either! I mean it would have been totally awesome to be partners but I can't be mad at my little black sloth for not knowing I was here! But man the whole partner thing was like soooo confusing!"

Ren felt relieved in hearing that Nora was alright with it. He guessed as long as they still hung out everything would be fine and nodded to her. "It was indeed a bit odd in how partnering up works but do not worry. I'm sure we can find you a partner quickly."

Nora gave a toothy grin as she jumped back and placed her hands on her hips. "Foolish Ren who is very foolish and adorable, I don't need help with that for I, your queen of the castle, have already found a partner!"

Everyone blinked in confusion and silence as Nora started cackling rather loudly like a madwoman.

"You found a partner?" Blake asked, rather stoically.

Nora nodded several times. "Not just A partner my bow wearing friend! But one who is my equal and has shown me how compatible we really are! And together we are going to create a new world full of ice cream – she really likes ice cream by way – and sloths!"

Nora then turned towards the trees she emerged from and cupped her hands to her mouth "Brrrrwah Brrrrwah!"

Ren, Blake, Ruby, and Adam merely watched as she stood there watching the trees with a grin.

"Nora," said Ren a little confused. "What are you-"

He suddenly stopped when heard rustling noises coming from the tree. The group turned in time to see something fall to the ground. It was a person, a girl more specifically, who looked slightly shorter than Ruby when she stood up. She was wearing a white jacket with pink interior, brown pants, and gray boots that when up to her knees with high heels. Under her jacket she wore a black corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wore a multitude of necklaces, which hung haphazardly around her neck. The girl seemed to dress stylish but what caught most attention was the girl's hair and eyes. It was long and half of it was pink while the other was brown with white streaks in the pink half. The same could be said with her irises; one was brown and the other was pink. The only thing she had on her person was a small sun umbrella for whatever reason.

The girl glanced at the four new strangers and smiled as she gave everyone a small wave and a bow in an elegant manner. Nora happily skipped over towards the new comer and placed a firm hand on the girl's shoulder as the girl did the same with Nora.

"Everyone," the orange haired girl called out. "Meet MY partner, Neo!"

 **And thus the ninth chapter comes to an end. So what do you think of the partnership? Let me know in the reviews! My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT**


	13. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the tenth chapter of "Derelicts in Black".**

 **First, I would like to say I HAVE RETURNED! I am so sorry for the late update; I was busy with last minute preparations for my return to college in one week exactly -_- I can honestly say it was a tad bit stressful but now I am ready for the semester.**

 **Second, thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Darzknex for becoming the 200** **th** **person to favorite this story**

 **P.S.: I apologize if this chapter seemed a little less than the others! I promise the next chapter will provide much more.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To Littlest1: Yes, there is inclusions of several teams in this story. While they are not going to be receiving as much screen time as the four protagonists, they will be presented for a good amount of story arc.**

 **To LadyLucina28: While Neo is separated from Roman in this story, he will definitely be back soon enough once we progress further in the story, and with a few changes as well.**

 **Lacronton: To be more specific, yes, Weiss is somewhat of a masochist for verbal abuse. I figured her, Nora, and Yang would entertain the plot with comedic relief alongside the more dramatic changes that will come. As for Neo's personality I have already set it up and you will see how it is soon enough.**

 **Mossblomma: All your questions regarding Neo will be answered within the story soon enough. Believe me I would like to tell you but where is the fun in that? And if you can think about it, Neo and Nora seemed like a pair that would work. Just as how Ren and Nora worked with their contrary personalities.**

 **To FireDusk: Yes, now you see why I requested some new villains. As I have mentioned before there will be significant changes to the canon and these will help fill in, and replace, the gaps.**

 **To Qrow's Talon: Because of my curiosity to the canon's villain, I felt a need to see how two of Yang's, personal, enemies would be if they never strayed towards a dark path.**

 **To Arkakuroforever: My thoughts on betrayal in this story… well… that classified ;)**

 **To Tusbasa0129: I am glad to see you enjoyed my little surprise partnership with Nora. Yes, the cliff fight is coming and with it, new changes so hope you are ready.**

 **To SkyDD: The topic of betrayal and deception are classified at the moment but I really loved your reaction. It actually made me chuckle.**

 **To EndlessChains: I am glad you enjoy having Ruby's thoughts and past revealed little by little. Also thank you, the fight scene was the one that took the longest to write but it went smoothly because I did not stop as I watched the actual Taijitu fight scene while writing. Nora is very amusing with her reactions. Actually I had to try and understand her character a bit more to make her as accurate to her canon self as possible. I'm glad you enjoyed the surprise partnership with Nora and Neo, I knew it would be the biggest thing to surprise people.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 10: Grouping Together.

The sun had finally reached it's highest peak several minutes after the battle with the King Taijitu. Within that time, Ruby couldn't help but ponder at all the activity she was involved with since arriving in the forest. First her landing, then the Beowolves, and even rendezvousing with Ren, Blake and Adam, while simultaneously becoming Ren's partner. And now here she was, standing in the middle of a small group meeting two new comers, one of which being Ren's old friend.

While on the topic, Ruby studied the said friend. The orange haired girl, Nora as Ren constantly called her, was certainly a hyperactive one. Never had she seen someone containing as much energy as she did. The closest second she could think of was her older sister, Yang. The two shared many traits; bubbly personality, wild minds, and even showed to be similar with their aggressive strength. The thought if those two met –let alone become partners– caused a shiver to crawl down Ruby's spine.

Nora seemed friendly, and was very much energetic, but what interested Ruby was how she talked to her partner, Neo. Compared to Nora, she was perhaps the exact opposite of her in terms of vocalization and personality wise. Even her posture: head up, shoulders back, hands folded together in front of her waist, radiated elegance and maintained a mature demeanor. However, there was something odd about her. Ruby couldn't put her finger on it but her instincts were kicking in when she first saw the multi-colored girl. It was not alerting her of danger, but indeed something about Neo seemed strange. She would hide this from the others until she made sense of it but for now, she continued observing them.

While Nora flailed her arms excitedly talking about a "Kingdom full of sweets", Neo was silently giggling as she patted Nora's head. In some odd way, the two seemed to get along rather well. It almost represented a mother and child relationship. Ruby watched the scene with a glimpse of sadness. She wasn't even aware of the frown on her face as she thought about her mother.

Pushing the thoughts away, Ruby realized something she didn't notice before when observing the two. There was a lack of communication from Neo's part when Nora was talking.

Thinking about it now, Nora's partner never uttering a word when they met her. It was strange but then again Ruby was no different in being often silent. She shrugged, perhaps Neo was just a silent type, at least that trait was something they both shared in common.

While, again, Nora did not seem so bad, Ruby just didn't know how she felt with the orange haired girl's high spirit. Ruby herself wasn't a brooding person by all means, but still, she couldn't help feeling surreal by Nora's optimistic personality.

A belief Ruby grew to accept was that the world is a scary place, full of danger and illusions lurking in the shadows. It may have its typical sunny days and stormy clouds; but in some areas light never shines, and weather never changes. ' _Things are not always black and white, so it's important to accept and adapt'_ , as Ruby's uncle would say. And even she couldn't deny how right it sounded in her ears.

Still, there were many people on Remnant who treated life as a fairy tale and Ruby despised that. She was even disgusted with herself for even believing in that once upon a time. But that was years ago.

Unlike people, she could tolerate the creatures of Grimm because of their simplistic nature when functioning. Kill and devour, simple methods for creatures that solemnly act on instinct.

However, when it came to the bubbliness of people, or just people in general, the complexity of understanding them was the hardest thing to deal with for Ruby, especially when it came to socialization. Among all of them, they felt no desire to see past all the simplicity and ignorance of what could be potentially hiding among them. People like these were one of the reasons she preferred solitude over company.

Despite all she thought, it was still a wonder to merely observe Nora. Both her and Neo were still heavily invested in their, one way, conversation. It was interesting how seemingly easy it was for their talk to flow with Nora doing all the talking while Neo only nodded or shook her head.

Ruby then turned towards Adam and Blake. They were standing next to each other a few steps away from her left. They were silently watching the new comers talking with unreadable expressions, no surprise for Ruby. However, Ruby did notice Adam's eyebrows narrowed lower than usual. In a way, it looked as if he was almost staring at them, or more specifically, at one of them. It seemed strange for her to think he was, but perhaps he was just being cautious. She wouldn't be able to know exactly anyways. It was hard to tell with his sunglasses on.

A few feet behind them, Ruby noticed Ren standing, slightly bent over, and rubbing his sides.

She stared at her partner more intently. Judging from the minor pained expression she could make out on his face and the way he held his sides, he must have taken some heavy injuries around his waist. Ren didn't appear to be a guy who was physically weak, not even after his battle. But Ruby did witness a King Taijitu ramming it's head into his stomach, and then later receiving a hug from that Nora girl, which in truth, did look painful.

Without thinking, she casually walked towards him. He did not even notice her presence standing in front of him when she arrived and lowered her head. She could see only sections of his face underneath his disheveled hair and leaned in a bit closer. His eyebrows were slightly narrowed with closed eyes and hints of sweat gleaming around his forehead.

"Ren," She whispered, trying to get his attention.

Slowly opening his eyes, the pained expression on Ren's face was gone and replaced with his usual stoic expression. He rose his head slightly and turned to Ruby.

"Yes?" He asked. He did not appear to be too injured and that internally relieved Ruby.

"How are your wounds?" Despite holding the usual face with no emotions, Ruby did have a modicum of concern.

Ren took a second to inhale and exhale a deep breath. His throat felt a little dry and cleared it before replying.

"Do not worry, my aura is already healing the bruises on my ribs." Ruby noted his head gesturing downwards. "It seems Nora's hug took a little more out of me than I, originally, thought."

She glanced down where his hand was still holding his side. She could see some speckles of white glowing around his palms and finger tips.

Ruby nodded and straightened herself back up. Ren didn't seem to be in the worst condition, but he did go through a lot. A battle with two King Taijitu and a fierce hug from his friend would not, understandably, leave his body at a hundred percent.

"I'm glad to hear that. But still, it seems that girl holds some intense strength behind her image." Ruby commented.

Ren couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Believe me, she does." He sighed. "Nora was born with an abnormally large amount of strength."

Ruby raise an eyebrow intrigued. The fact that he said she was born with intense strength was just a bewilderment. "Are all the residents of your village born with abnormally large talents?"

Ren shrugged. "I suppose… you could say that…".

He was not entirely sure if it was correct to say yes. Although the people his honorable elder interacted with did mention having great amounts of certain abilities; some would brag while others threatened him with it. But the last part would remain a secret. It was an uncomfortable memory.

Ruby noticed Ren's slight hesitation. Still, she nodded and accepted his answer. "Either way, I commend you for being able to put up with all that energy and strength."

Ren was silently relieved for the topic change and chuckled lightly. "It was not easy in the beginning." he said. Just remembering Nora's antics in the past were enough to make him feel exhausted. "Although eventually, I have grown used to it… or rather I did."

Ruby corked an eyebrow. "Did?"

Ren straightened himself up with his hand still maintained on his side. "I was mainly talking about her strength. Since we were children, I have always received intense hugs from Nora. I, eventually, grew used to them. However, until recently, I haven't seen her in months and thus I can assume my body has lost it's familiarity with them."

Ruby pondered that thought for a minute as she folded her arms. "That makes sense." She muttered.

Ren nodded and glanced away. "I warn you Ruby." His tone sounded serious, which made Ruby pay closer attention and slightly narrowed her eyes. "Given time, Nora will most likely give you a hug as well. She is a very social person, and very open."

Ruby glanced away as a shiver crawled down her spine. She greatly disliked forceful hugs, or any hugs in general, if they were not under her consent.

"So it's safe to assume you two are childhood friends?" she asked, quickly changing the topic again. Ren was slightly humored by this but let the topic drop.

"Yes. For a very long time." He glanced towards the orange haired girl. She was currently performing a little dance for Neo. The sight even made him smile a little. "Nora became my very first friend… actually… my only friend growing up." Ruby now glanced back at him. "As children, we were inseparable, mostly because she wouldn't leave me alone."

Ruby smirked as she resisted the urge to laugh.

"But eventually," Ren continued. "I grew to tolerate her and enjoyed her company overtime. Despite being a little reckless and loud, Nora is a kind hearted girl who has taught me a lot about compassion and friendship."

Ren's talk of Nora was fond despite admitting her being irritable in the beginning. This intrigued Ruby to see how the orange haired girl went from annoying him, to befriending him.

However, the thought could be discussed at another time. There were more important things to think about right now. "I still don't think that its healthy to be "used" to strong hugs." Ruby commented.

Ren could not help but sigh again.

"Neither do I," he replied. He then smiled softly as he rubbed the back of his head. "However, despite her not knowing the extent of her strength, I can confidently say Nora is a good person. I'm sure with time, she will grow on you as well."

Ruby understood, taking note of everything Ren said and nodded to herself. With a sudden pat on Ren's back, Ruby turned from him.

"We're moving soon. Be ready." she said and silently walked away. Ren could only nod and continued healing his wounds, watching Ruby walk.

While she left her partner alone, Ruby decided it was best to get things underway and walked in the direction of Nora and Neo. Many thoughts filled her mind on the haired girl. With her being Ren's friend, the respectable thing to do, as his partner, was to at least introduce herself to Nora. And secretly, Ruby wanted to see exactly how Nora functioned.

As she moved closer to them, Adam and Blake were watching Ruby the entire time. _'This should be interesting.'_ Thought Blake, and turned to her brother.

She was surprised and confused when seeing Adam's expression. The look on his face was an all too familiar one. One she had seen quite often in the past whenever he was cautious or alert for potential danger. Upon further notice, Blake realized that he was making this expression at Nora and Neo which confused her even more.

By first appearance, the two didn't seem all that threatening; aside from that bone crushing hug Ren received from Nora. Blake mentally shuddered; but overall, the two seemed relatively normal, to a degree. However, she wondered on her brother's reasons. she did trust his decisions before, perhaps not to the fullest in the past, but since now she would. Adam would never give that look to just anyone. She made a mental note to talk with him later. Right now, Ruby approached the two girls and Blake wanted to observed the scene play out in silence. She too, would watch their actions closely to decide whether Adam's caution is correct.

When Ruby approached she stopped two steps from Nora's right. It went totally unnoticed to the orange haired girl as she merely continued laughing along with Neo's silent giggling. She waited there for a good minute but neither two noticed her at all. Feeling a twitch on her right eyebrow, Ruby cleared her throat loud enough for the two in front of her to hear, which they did, and turned.

"Excuse me… Nora was it?" She slowly asked.

Hearing her name, the orange haired girl gave Ruby her full attention and closed the gap in between them with a giant leap that had Nora literally face to face with Ruby. "That's what they call me!"

Nora's eyes went wide as she cupped her hands together with a huge grin on her face. Her breathing was practically tickling the tip of Ruby's nose as the proximity was too close for comfort.

The red hooded girl quickly took a step back, feeling slightly better now in her own personal space. "Right… I believe introductions are in order. On the count of us officially meeting now."

"What do you mean?! We already met silly!" Giggled Nora.

Ruby looked away awkwardly. "On the contrary… you only introduced your partner." She nodded over to Neo who merely watched the two with a smile. "Then you two started talking amongst yourselves right after, completely forgetting everything else."

Nora let out an exaggerated gasp as she smacked her cheeks in shock. Ruby raised an eyebrow but then jumped when the orange haired girl started exclaiming. "OH MY GOSH YOU'RE RIGHT! I DIDN'T EVEN TELL YOU MY NAME, BUT THEN YOU CAME UP AND ALREADY KNEW IT! HOW DID YOU DO THAT? ARE YOU PSYCHIC? ARE YOU AN ALIEN? OR-"

"No!" Ruby blurted out, slightly annoyed. "I am neither." She regained her composure and proceeded. "Ren simply called you by that. So I believed it was safe to assume that that was your name. Also I would greatly appreciate you not yelling in my ear." She gently rubbed one of them to get the ringing out.

Nora rubbed the back of her head with a toothy grin plastered on her lips. "Sorry about that! I get so carried away with excitement that my mind is just everywhere!" she said slightly embarrassed.

Ruby rolled her eyes with an awkward smile. "I'm sure it is." She muttered. "Now… may I continue?" she quietly asked.

"You may!" Nora replied.

Ruby nodded and proceeded to do a quick and respectful bow to Nora, who tilted her head to the side watching her curiously. "My name is Ruby Rose. I am the one who is partnered with your friend, Lie Ren. It is with the deepest respect that I am honored to meet you."

Surprisingly enough to the red hooded girl, she was met with silence right after her introduction. She looked up and saw that Nora was in fact smiling softly with her hands on her hips. Her smile then widened into a grin as she extended one of her hands out. "Put it there girl, any friend of Renny's is a friend of mine!"

Ruby glanced at the hand, slightly hesitant and unsure for a brief second on whether she should shake it. But since Ren was her partner, she would respect his friend's request and slowly extended her own hand forward. The second she did, Nora grabbed it with sheer force, causing Ruby's body to jerk forward as Nora wrapped an arm around her waist, and embraced her.

' _Damn… this... is painful.'_ Ruby thought. She tried her best to mask the pain on her face. But the embrace was intense and she thought she heard some cracks from her spine as she was picked up from the ground. _'Ren was not kidding about her strength.'_

Unfortunately for Ruby, it did not stop there as Nora then proceeded to spin the red hooded girl's body around as she giggled in joy. Ruby couldn't hide the pained expression any longer.

"I'M SO GLAD TO MEET YOU RUBY! WE'RE GONNA BE THE GREATEST FRIENDS AND DO FUN THINGS TOGETHER, LIKE PAINT OUR NAILS, GO SHOPPING, TALK ABOUT BOYS, OH, AND I CAN LET YOU IN ON SOME JUICY STORIES ABOUT RENNY! I'VE GOT TONS OF EMBARRASSING AND SEXY ONES! I EVEN TOLD NEO SOME REALLY GOOD ONES ALREADY, ISNT THAT RIGHT NEO?!"

Neo looked away and shook her head slowly. Her cheeks were noticeable deep red and, before she quickly covered her face with her hands, Ruby could have sworn that the girl was even drooling a bit. Despite Nora still screaming many more activities, all of it went in through one ear and out the other.

She didn't know how much more of the spinning she can take. It came to a point where a part of her actually started to hate all bubbly girls if they were just going to spin her around every time she met one.

"AND ANOTHER THING YOU ARE JUST SO ADORABLE WITH YOUR PUDGY CHEEKS AND SMALL SIZE! I MEAN I'M NOT THAT TALLER THAN YOU BUT YOUR JUST SO CUTE IT HURTS! AND YOUR SO LIGHT! IT'S LIKE I'M HOLDING A PUPPY! AW MAN YOU'RE JUST SO-"

"Nora, put Ruby down this instant!"

As if on command, Nora instantly stopped, causing Ruby to slightly groan from the abrupt halt. "Sorry Ren! Don't worry, I didn't break her!" Nora then lowered Ruby onto the ground where the red hooded girl had to close her eyes for a bit to stop her world from spinning. "At least I don't think so..." she muttered.

Ruby's legs felt shaky and almost caused her to fall until Neo moved in and supported her. After a few seconds Ruby regained her awareness and glanced back at Nora. Neo let Ruby go as she then dusted herself off. "You... are strong." was the only thing Ruby could say.

Nora giggled as she rested her hands on her waist. "I get that a lot! And sorry for spinning you by the way. Like I said, I get overly excited sometimes!"

"It's... alright." Replied Ruby, and turned to the one who helped her. "And thank you... Neo, was it?"

The multi-color haired girl smiled and winked at her while giving a two finger salute.

Ruby nodded, a bit awkwardly, and cleared her throat. "Right..." She then turned back to Nora. "If I may ask, I would rather not be picked up or hugged anymore… please." She gently rubbed her side while her back ached a bit."

"No promises!" giggled Nora.

Ruby could only sigh and mentally noted to never be around Nora when she's excited. "Anyways, now that our introductions are out of the way, I wish for you to meet our last two comrades.

Ruby turned and waved for Adam and Blake to approach. There was something odd with how the two acted though. Blake showed a second's hesitation that didn't go unnoticed to Ruby while Adam had a serious look plastered on his face. After a brief glance at each other, the two started towards them slowly.

It was odd but Ruby decided to keep silent about it for now and would ask them about it later. She glanced back at Nora and Neo. The two didn't notice how Adam and Blake acted and Ruby felt it was better like that. Either way, there was something odd in the air and it seemed that Ruby wasn't the only one in noticing it.

When they approached, the red hooded girl took a step back to allow the four to acquaint properly.

"Nora, Neo, allow me to introduce the last two of our group." Ruby announced. "The girl with the bow is Blake Belladonna, and beside her is her brother, Adam Taurus."

On cue, the siblings both bowed respectively as Neo took a step back, crossing one arm over her chest and did the same. Nora looked around at all the formality going on and tried her best to mimic Neo.

When all four rose, Blake was the first to speak. "It is a pleasure to meet the both of you." She gave them both a small smile.

"Yeah... charmed." Muttered Adam as he crossed his arms.

Ruby noticed his tone sounded lower than usual. It was not as relaxed or nonchalant when he spoke to herself, Blake or Ren.

At least it went totally oblivious to Nora and Neo who both smiled at the siblings. Nora grinned wickedly as she extended her hand out for either one to shake.

"Nice to meet you both! I go by many names, the queen of the castle, the leg breaker, and at one point I was called the lovable hugger! Although every time someone said lovable, they always made bunny ears with their fingers and bent them twice. Never knew why they did that but who cares! You can both just call me Nora Valkyrie!"

Both Adam and Blake stared at the orange haired girl's hand. "If you even try to hug me, I will not hesitate in cutting your arm off." said Adam, and gripped her hand. He even showed the tip of his sword to prove he was not kidding.

Nora chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head with her free hand. "Hehe... message delivered..."

"The same goes for me." Blake said and shook Nora's hand right after her brother.

Nora stopped chuckling and smiled nervously. She made a mental note to watch her excitement around those two from now on. "Yeah... I do get overly excited sometimes." She did not want a robotic hand anytime soon, even if the idea sounded so cool in her mind.

Nora then regained her giddy self and wrapped an arm around Neo's shoulder, almost completely forgetting the threats she received.

"Anyways, this adorable girl here is the one and only Neo! Well actually, Neo is short for... Neo...poli...tan? Yeah, Neopolitan! But I had sooo much trouble saying that at first that she said to just call her Neo!"

Ruby, Blake, and Adam all stared at Neo which made her look around nervously. She began to get flustered and looked away while trying to cover her face. That was when Nora jumped in front of her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention she has a really bad problem with public speaking! Whenever people stare at her she gets all, "Ah, please don't look at me!" and goes into what I call, a turtle mode!" Nora laughed as Neo glared at her while clenching her umbrella. Her cheeks were puffed out slightly as red also tinted them.

The others could only watch in bewilderment at how they acted. And while glossaphobia was something she could relate to, Ruby recovered her thoughts and spoke up.

"So Neo can talk?" she asked.

Both girls stopped and glanced at the red hooded girl. When Neo looked into Ruby's emotionless eyes, she shifted around awkwardly and looked away.

"Well actually... I don't really know." Nora said while thinking about it.

"But you said she told you her name." Blake said and raised an eyebrow, growing a bit suspicious.

"She did!" exclaimed Nora. "Well... more like... she wrote it. Here, show them Neo!"

Hesitant for a second, Neo nodded and reached around her back to pull what looked like a little white notebook. Within a second, Nora grabbed the little book out of her partner's hand and held it in the air smiling. "This is how she communicates with people."

Ruby, Blake, and Adam, all stared at the little notebook and then simultaneously turned to Neo.

"You communicate through writing?" Adam asked.

Neo nodded and gave him a small smile while still flustered. Adam did not look away and his serious expression did not change either as he continued to stare at her. "Besides yes or no questions, can you talk?" he asked with a small growl of impatience and took a step closer.

This caused Neo to flinch slightly as she quickly snatched her notebook back from Nora and released the small black pen attached to the ringed spine. She immediately turned to a new page and began scribbling a few words down before turning it abruptly and extending the notebook towards Adam. He quickly backed away as the book nearly hit his face and read the only sentence on the page.

To Adam: It is very complicated! I'm sorry please don't kill me!"

Adam raised an eyebrow and looked down at the multi-color haired girl. She had her eyes closed as her head was slightly lowered. "I'm... not going to hurt you." he said, and Neo looked up. "I was... just curious."

Neo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him. She then scribbled a few more things and then turned it back around so he can read it.

To Adam: By the way, you're horns are really cute! Can I touch them?"

Adam's left eye twitched behind his sunglasses. He couldn't restrain the growl he released with his sneer. "Alright, now you crossed the line."

Neo dropped her shouldered and her cheeks puffed out a bit as she pouted. She then got an idea and mentally smirked on the count of it never failing. She closed her eyes for a second before looking back up at Adam again, but this time, with gleaming sad eyes, almost imitating a saddened puppy.

Adam merely looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering if she was seriously thinking that would work. "Blake always did that to try and get something when we were young. Do you wish to know what I always said to her?"

Blake clenched her teeth a little which Ruby saw from the corner of her eye. She always hated when Adam brought up old stories about her when they were children. However, what Adam failed to do was tell the truth in some parts. He didn't always say no to her when she pulled the puppy eyes. Hell, when Blake got a better look at her brother, she could see how hard he was fighting not to give in through his facial expression. Even if it looked almost expressionless, she could always tell what her brother was thinking. She was almost tempted to even ask what Neo requested just to get a good laugh. But the sight alone was amusing enough for her.

Neo did not shake or nod her head when he asked. She just kept looking at him with sad eyes. She even trembled her lower lip to reinforce herself. Adam sighed, internally screaming for her to stop the torture, and Neo thought she actually prevailed until she saw his smirk. "No."

The multi-color haired girl let out a faint growl of frustration. She grew desperate and, to the surprise of everyone, including Adam, she pressed her body to his, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist. She couldn't even hide the blush she had when she felt how firm his muscles were beneath his clothing.

Adam looked down at the innocent, blushing face Neo portrayed, he even noticed a small smile on her lips. _'Let me touch your horns!_ ' Neo mentally shouted

He looked visibly annoyed now and gripped the top of her head. "No, now get off." He said, without realizing he answered her mental question. Adam tried pushing her away but was caught off guard by how strong she held on. The harder he pushed, the tighter she held on. "I'm serious, get off!" he growled and tried his hardest to push her away again.

Ruby and Blake didn't know whether to laugh or feel pity for either Adam or Neo. Nora was too busy giggling the whole time as she watched the two in enjoyment.

Despite the amusement Ruby felt by watching the scene, she did grow tired of all the nonsense and cleared her throat, earning everyone's attention. "I believe we have entertained ourselves enough. If none of you mind, I suggest we all move immediately before we lose the relics to others."

"She's right." Ren called out and walked up to the group. His hand was no longer on his side and he was looking much better than before with the sweat and disheveled hair. "We have overstayed here long enough. Our location is just beyond the other end of this tall grass and through the forest. We must make haste if we all want to pass."

Ruby nodded, silently thankful for Ren's return, and turned to the group. "Does everyone understand that?"

Blake nodded, crossing her arms. Nora grinned and gave a salute in confirmation while Adam and Neo have already separated away from each other. Adam nodded with the serious expression never leaving his face as Neo let her umbrella rest on her shoulder. She smiled and nodded to the red hooded girl.

Ruby, satisfied with things getting back on track, nodded and turned in the direction they needed to go. "Let's go." She said and dashed through the rest of the tall grass and into the forest with the others following closely behind. Now was not the time for any mistakes as their careers as future hunters was on the line.

 **And thus the tenth chapter comes to an end. So what do you think? Let me know in the reviews! My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT**

 **P.S: Again, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, I promise the next chapter will be much lengthier.**


	14. Chapter 11

**Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the eleventh chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: I cannot believe I have reached 35,000+readers! I am flabbergasted. It truly shocks m to see so many people enjoying what I add here. Thank you all so much.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Killax0404 for becoming the 250** **th** **person to favorite this story.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To: Yaksher: Yes, even I felt like the chapter acted as a filler. It was, originally, going to be longer, however with the tasks I had to complete for my school, I was forced to publish only a little bit of what I had done in chapter 10. However, you can expect better content from me in the future.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: My plans for Neo are grand. It will build up to something that I do not believe any other fan fiction writer ever did (at least I hope not) and I hope you all look forward to the surprises I have in store. And I enjoyed writing Ren dancing it brought many fond memories of Monty. (rest in peace) And don't all original characters will be brought back in their respective time.**

 **To .1690: Believe me, Yang's puns are already bad enough (RWBY CHIBI EPISODE 16) and even I cringed when writing that part. And thank you, a lot of people never saw Neo and Nora as a team but the moment I got the idea, it just fit so well. Glad you liked it.**

 **To Littlest1: Sorry to say this but no, Neo doesn't have telepathy. She was just thinking in her head. It would have been a good idea but it would counter her writing in a little notebook.** **But you get a cookie for figuring out the scene, good for you (pats head)**

 **To Mossblomma: I will be shedding light on Adam's actions on Neo very soon, so do not worry about that.**

 **To EndlessChains: Yes, Nora is quite a character. But she does have that ability to befriend anyone so look forward to what I have in store with her and the rest of the characters. The interaction with Neo and Adam will expand very soon so do not worry about that. And When I wrote Ren's side story, the topic was relatable to me since I live in a forest town. When I go to NYC, (I live 45 minutes away) I would act like this a lot. Introducing Neon so early would be a great head start when team FNKI return for the tournament. And showing how Ren was still like Monty was a great way of remembering him (rest in peace). Plus, it felt right in concluding the thought of Ren's first day before he met Ruby.**

 **TrueWhovian77: Thank you for your compliment, and do not worry, there is much I must expand with Neo involving a few more characters as well. Stay tune for that. Because you will be in for some shock and surprises where I am hoping you'll scream "What!"**

 **To** **xzEr00nly1x** **: I couldn't agree more!**

 **To Rin: There will be many more side stories coming, especially with the Autumn and Winter seasons coming. (Very exciting!) I will at least be making several involving single characters and then group characters together as well.**

 **To Akakuroforever: Adam and Blake's relationship is strictly platonic sibling love. They love each other as a brother and sister would. I know, I know, it might spice things up if there was some romance however as I said before, I want to avoid romance whenever possible. It has been used countless times as a main or secondary genre for a story and is the most popular. Rather than conform to that I wish to make a story that can be as great as a romance story without the romance aspect.**

 **To Aura: Thank you for your compliment, it means a lot. And yes, that was just a vison I had in the "what if", if Adam did join Blake and I hope I did a good job in portraying it.**

 **To EndlessChains: I am glad you enjoyed that side story and yes I tried to make everything about the decisions and problems in the side story as realistic as possible os I hope I did well in doing so.**

 **To To Osheana259: I have taken some of your ideas into considerations and I already do have some plans that I hope you would enjoy. But thank you for the constructive advice. I will be sure to take note of it.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 11: Together

It had been several minutes since leaving the King Taijitu's nest. Ruby, along with her small group of hunters in training, were long gone rushing through the forest swiftly and silently. There was no time to waste, they had to complete the test soon or risk failing. But being in the middle of a mysterious forest surrounded by potential unknown dangers; caution and silence were a must use to survive.

Each step Ruby took never echoed or crunched off the grass, and neither did anyone else's behind her. This surprised her a little.

Ren, Blake, and Adam already showed to have quality skills in stealth from the few times observing them. Neo was a new stranger but she was already silent throughout their meeting. It wouldn't have been surprising if she, too, was silent in her movement.

No, what surprised Ruby the most was Nora. Since meeting her, the girl was a constant ball of energy; and that was putting it mildly. And yet she moved with such cunning agility and silence that it amazed Ruby. There was no yelling, sounds, or laughter. She was as silent as the others.

While still… aggressively loud, no doubt, Ruby had to admit, she misjudged the orange haired girl a bit. While she was pleasantly wrong, Nora was still a ball of energy. But at least the wild girl could be hasty with silence, that relieved Ruby.

Continuing on the path that pointed east, the group accelerated their speed little by little each yard they took. Ruby estimated their arrival to be moments away, practically seconds if they stay on course with their current velocity.

With herself ahead of the group she would be the first to see anything they encounter. And being smaller and lighter, than the others she believed, her sprint was faster.

She was no stranger to seeing many blurry trees in her eyes when passing them. Running through the forest was nothing, if not second nature. She had done it countless times growing up. Both out of enjoyment and… not so enjoyable reasons. Those bullies never knew when to quit chasing her.

Ruby turned slightly and gazed back. She hoped she wasn't moving too fast for the others, especially, Nora and Neo. Her uncle had always warned her about getting too ahead of herself, both rhetorically and literally.

Never to sound egotistical, but she knew she could outrun any of them if she wanted. Her semblance was speed after all. But of course, she would then be disrespecting one of her uncle's many lessons. Something she would rather die before ever doing.

 _"Never allow your specialties to be exclusively for you. Broaden and sharing them will keep you alive longer."_

She had never met Nora and Neo until now so she had no prior knowledge of how their endurance or mobility were. She already had a good hint from Ren, Blake, and Adam but the two new comers were still strangers. Well, they were all still strangers, technically. Those two were just... a little more stranger like than the others.

But to her satisfactory everyone was right behind her. Nora and Neo didn't seem winded at all. On the contrary, Nora sprinted with a huge smirk plastered on her lips while Neo ran with a confident smile.

Ruby also noticed that Blake and Ren were missing. That was until she glanced up and saw that the two had taken to the trees again jumping from tree to tree, causing a few leaves to sway off some branches.

Adam was running closely behind Ruby with Nora and Neo right behind him. No one seemed tired or struggling which was good. Very good.

With no further concern, Ruby did a turnaround and immediately sighted something up ahead. The trees were now lessening and the ground narrowed until it stopped on a small grassy hill in between two large trees near the edge.

Ruby slowed her pace and then halted as her feet reached the edge. Adam, immediately, came to a complete stop next to her as Nora and Neo both did the same behind them. Ren and Blake were the last to arrive as both jumped down and landed on the ground softly behind their group.

"Beautiful." Ruby muttered at the sight in front of her.

Though soft in tone, everyone heard and no one could disagree. The scenery was beautiful with a wide, short, grassy plain that beat the other two Ruby encountered by tenfold. There were several dozens of large boulders protruding from the ground; with several plants and bushes, of all colors, shapes, and sizes scattered across as well.

But while the scene was breathtaking, it was not what caught Ruby's eye. And one by one, everyone locked eyes with the real source of Ruby's comment.

In the middle of the plain, a massively wide flooring made of stone was laid out in a circular formation. Built on top was a structure that resembled remains of a rotunda made of stone bricks and columns.

It looked more like ruins than the actual temple the headmaster described. It was beyond abandoned, destroyed was a better term. A good majority was gone with the rest in pieces, covered in moss or both. Three of the columns were broken and on the ground. The remaining five, still standing, held up a circle of stones that Ruby presumed was the base of the second floor.

With a sharp inhale, she turned around to the small group and nodded over towards the ruins. "Let's go." She motioned, and jumped down with everyone else following in suit.

The closer the group got towards the temple, the more they realized how massive it was. From a distance, it looked small and capable of housing no more than a few people. Upon closer view, its base could have, in fact, held a few dozen people alone.

"What a marvelous structure." Ren praised as he approached one of the columns. He extended his hand and felt how cold the surface was. And yet it still maintained it's sturdiness from the roughness gracing his fingertips. His geography book was correct; stone remains strong no matter the age. "It's erection must have been difficult to put up."

"Of course silly! It's sooo tall and big even I don't think I can handle erecting that!" giggled Nora as she stared up the column with cupped eyes.

 _'That's what she said.'_ Neo thought with a purr and silently giggled as she hid the red on her cheeks.

Oblivious to Neo's pervertedness, Ren leaned closer to better examine the symbols and markings engraved in the stone. _'What do these symbols mean?'_ He thought and decided to pull out his scrolls to take a few pictures. He would save them for research later.

Ruby, along with Blake and Adam, ventured further into the ruins examining everything around them.

"This place is... fascinating." Blake muttered as she stared up in wonder at the open circular roof above them.

Adam walked to the center and kneeled over some of the patterned markings on the floor where he thought they looked familiar. "If I were to take a guess, I believe these are ruins of ancient humans who lived here before the modernization age of Remnant."

Ruby, with slight doubt, turned to her Faunus comrade. "How certain are you?"

"Fairly certain." Adam confidently replied. " I once studied texts that spoke about ancient humans who ceased migration and built settlement homes out of stone to keep the creatures of Grimm away."

Ruby accepted his answer but tilted her head a bit questionable. "You're very knowledgeable with human history. What made you so interested?" she asked curiously.

Adam felt himself tense a little. At first he didn't reply. Not even so much as a glance to Ruby which only caused the red hooded girl to raise an eyebrow in confusion. He was worried that he had revealed too much which could potentially reveal his past.

However, he didn't realize that Ruby was not making any suspecting theories at all. She was only curious. But his mind was too busy creating a believable lie to see that.

"Well Ruby… I-"

"Adam has always been a curious know it all." Blake suddenly, and unexpectedly, stated. She approached the two with crossed arms and turned to her brother, giving him a tired, or annoyed Adam couldn't tell, glance. "His photographic memory is the reason why and in truth, it's kind of annoying to me."

Quickly catching on, Adam turned to Ruby and shrugged. "She's not wrong. But what she fails to realize is that knowledge is power. Though that is why I am smarter than her."

Blake resisted the urge to slap her brother. It may have been an act they played but he didn't need exaggerate his ego.

Despite that, they hoped that Ruby didn't notice the slight hesitation in Adam's voice.

Even if she was a comrade to both, she was extremely intelligent which was potentially dangerous. Her enrolled into Beacon at the age of 15 was proof enough. She was also too observant and could be a problem if she grows suspicious of their actions. Their past was to be buried away forever, not return into light.

Thankfully, to their relief, Ruby shrugged in her usual noncaring expression. The trickle of sweat on Adam's forehead was quickly swatted away as he slowly exhaled the breath he didn't realize he withheld.

"I have a photographic memory as well." she replied with the faintest of smirks.

Adam didn't trust his voice so instead he smirked as well in his usual fashion, and nodded.

"That aside, why would they live in a rotunda like this?" Blake quickly asked.

While relieved to have escaped the suspicion of Ruby, their lie wasn't totally false. Adam did have a photographic memory and he did learn a great amount of human history. And while he enjoyed learning, human history was never a topic for pleasure in the White Fang.

It was research, analyzation, and study. To destroy thy enemy, one must learn of thy enemy. It was the only reason why she and Adam knew so much about human culture. It especially helped Blake with blending and adapting among them.

When asked, Adam quickly stood back up and stretched slightly. "Actually, this particular structure wasn't a home. It was a prison."

Blake wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. "A prison?"

Adam nodded. He then pointed to the center of the floor where a symbolic circle on top of an X mark lay engraved in the stone.

"I've forgotten what tribe used that symbol; but I know it is closest to the word " _jail"_ or _"concealment"_ in our language."

This fascinated Ruby. "So this is where they kept all their enemies." she stated and looked around. "One can only imagine what they did to them."

Adam grimaced. "Despite beginning the first signs of civilization, brutality was still heavily influenced. The most often cases a tribe would slaughter the elders and men while the women and children would be taken. The boys would be trained under their way and the women would become sex slaves to the warriors to birth new heirs."

"Disgusting." Blake muttered with crossed arms.

"Yes it was." Adam agreed. "However this tribe is different. They had their prisoners build small homes safely away from the prison. The civilians would stay there and leave the prisoners locked up." Adam added.

"They were merciful?" Ruby asked.

"Not entirely." Replied Adam. "While they didn't condone raping and slaughtering, they did have their fair share of brutality. They would sacrifice some prisoners and feed them to the Grimm."

"I believe I heard something similar." Ruby muttered and all eyes turned to her. "Per what I remember, a tribe would restrict a prison, take them far away and then smear their bodies with berries, scents, or anything that would attract or lure out potential threats."

Blake frowned. She knew where this was headed and didn't like it.

"They would knock the prisoner unconscious and leave them for any Grimm nearby. And while this happens, the ones who contained him would watch them devour him."

Adam rubbed his neck a little awkwardly. "To be honest, as cruel as it sounds, it's quite interesting because I believe they used this method to see what types of Grimm lived in the area."

Blake gripped her arms a little tighter. "So they were used as bait to see what types of creatures inhabited the area?"

"Correct." Her brother said, he could see how angry this made Blake and quickly turned to her. "I never said the past was easy to live in. But then again, is the present any better?" he asked. And Blake knew what he meant in between the lines. _Was it any better for their kind?_

Ruby could have sworn she saw a glint of sadness on both the siblings faces, but scratched it out of mind.

"The idea of our present being better is debatable. But what I'm sure we can agree on, is that life is not always generous." The siblings and Ruby turned to the voice of Ren who calmly approached them. "People will always do horrible things; intentionally or not. And innocent lives will also be taken or accused in the process." Ren casted his saddened eyes down at the symbol below him. He knew all too well what it meant to be accused and a prisoner.

Not sure about Adam or Blake, but the red hooded girl noticed from the tone of her partner's voice a lot of grief. She didn't say anything about it and would not urge him to tell her. Privacy is privacy.

"Where are Nora and Neo?" Blake quickly asked.

Ren pointed behind him towards the column he was at a few moments ago. "Taking pictures of themselves with the column."

"Why?" Adam asked in confusion.

"They want to show it on a site that uses a thing called a... hashtag?" Ren responded with a shrug. He was just as confused about it as they were.

The siblings glanced at each other then looked passed Ren to see Nora and Neo on their scrolls acting rather giddy.

"Great picture Neo! Now, what to caption this? Hmm..." Nora pondered until she saw Neo quickly scribbling something in her notebook.

"Hash tag To Big For Me and a winky face?" Nora read. "She closed her eyes and rubbed her chin a little. "That... sounds... AMAZING!"

This caused Neo to silently cheer as both girls jumped into the air and gave each other the loudest high five that echoed into the forest. "Thanks a bunch pal!"

Neo gave a thumbs up and nodded happily. Little did Nora know, her multi-colored partner had other things on her mind when recommending that.

 _'#ToBigForMe;)… That's what she said! heheh... I'm so bad... I should be span- wait what? Where did that come from?!'_

Ruby rolled her eyes and looked away. _'That is all I ever saw back in Signal. I will never see the point of social media.'_

Blake could have sworn she saw Neo's eyes flicker for a split second as she shook her head violently. Nora was too busy typing away and giggling to herself to notice.

Feeling a bit awkward, Blake turned away. 'T _hose two... seem very compatible with each other... I think.'_

Adam only shrugged as he turned back to the group. "I believe we had enough time talking. We should do what we came here for." He suggested.

"If memory serves, we are to retrieve the placed relics from this location and return them to the Headmaster before day's end." Ren stated.

"Well we need not look further." Blake commented and pointed behind her. "I don't think ancient civilization had assembled _chess pieces_ in their cultures just yet."

"As a matter of fact-"

"Shut it, Adam."

"CHESS PIECES?!" Nora shouted with upbeat tone. She looked up from her scroll and gazed with glistening eyes towards the various chess pieces in front of her. "I LOVE CHESS PIECES!"

Without warning, the orange haired girl put away her scroll and immediately rushed towards one of the stone alters that held the play tool. With a quick hand, she snatched the golden piece off and danced around with it balanced perfectly on the top of her head. She then proceeded to repeatedly say she was 'queen of the castle' in a sing song tone.

Neo walked up behind Nora as the girl dropped the piece into her hand and frantically waved it around. "Neo look, look! With this I am declared queen of the castle!"

The multi-color haired girl only nodded as she patted Nora's head which made Nora more energetic.

Ren could only look on with his shoulders slightly drooped. "Nora… that's… that's not a queen piece…. it's a rook piece." He sighed while shaking his head.

However, this went ignored as Nora kept dancing around. Neo shrugged to Ren and simply watched her partner dance with a smile.

Ruby drowned out the noise behind her as she approached one of the small stone alters reaching up to her stomach. Placed in the center was a small chess piece that was larger than her hand and carved with great detail.

She looked at the other alters and counted 20, with half of the pieces on top being golden and the other black. She also noticed a pattern among their overall placement.

"I wonder why the headmaster chose chess pieces?" Ren asked as he examined the one next to Ruby.

"There could be many reasons." The red hooded girl stated as she looked back down at the piece in front of her. "When it comes to the headmaster, you never know what he intends."

Adam crossed his arms as he glanced at the other alters. "From what I can surmise, there are supposed to be two sets of each chess piece, excluding the pawn, in black and gold. I say 'supposed' because there are some already missing."

"I guess that means we weren't the first ones here then." Blake said stoically. "But why only 20?"

"Why else," Ruby muttered with a shrug, "To decrease the number of successors."

Ren looked at the chess pieces more seriously. "This makes sense. There are various designated locations in the forest. Certainly, not a lot to let everyone pass."

"There are six to be precise." Ruby said in a matter of fact tone.

"How do you know that Ruby?" Ren asked.

"My uncle once mentioned it to me once when he was an instructor for the headmaster."

Adam pondered this. "So if there are only six locations that hold twenty chess pieces then there's only a hundred and twenty pieces available overall in the forest." He fixed his sunglasses and leered. "And if there's five hundred students…"

"The rule was clear: one relic per pair. Do not forget that." Ruby added.

"So twenty times two equals forty and if you multiply forty with six then only two hundred and forty students will pass." Blake narrowed her eyes. "And before sunset, a little more than half of the class will fail this exam." She warned.

"Doesn't that seem a little extreme?" Ren asked rather sympathetically. To have more than two hundred and fifty students gone like that seemed a bit much for a first exam.

No one responded at first and allowed silence to surround them until Ruby said. "I think it is a good method."

Then all eyes turned to her, some curious, others confused.

"My uncle once said to me: _those who cannot handle the training could never handle actual combat_." She quoted. "Beacon is one of the most prestigious academies to train the next generation of hunters. As such, we should not be expecting to be pampered or spoiled. Our duty is to become the protectors of society from the creatures of Grimm. Which is why we should be pushed hard to show that we belong, that we are worthy."

Everyone, including Nora and Neo, all glanced at one another and then back to Ruby. They all had mix thoughts on this ideal, but overall they all shared one common thought.

' _That is respectable.'_

"Your uncle sounds wise." Ren commented. "I can see his logic."

"He sounds experienced." Blake added as Adam nodded in agreement.

"And is very sure of his belief."

Shrugging, Ruby turned and grabbed one of the pieces behind her, the Black Knight Piece. "He has given me wisdom countless times." She said and stared at the horse piece. "He trained me and guided me from hard times. His beliefs are my beliefs." The last part she muttered more to herself than to the group.

She quickly did a 180 and turned back to the group. "Now pick your pieces. We don't want to hold ourselves up."

"We got ours!" Nora exclaimed as she waved her piece in hand. Neo nodded in confirmation.

"I guess that leaves only us." Adam said to his sister.

"Let's be quick about it." Shrugged Blake.

Adam walked up to the alter next to Ruby and picked up the only other Black Knight piece in the rotunda.

"You trying to copy?" Ruby asked with a smirk.

Adam scoffed and rolled his eyes under his glasses. "Trust me little red, I've loved the black night piece a long time. Its symbolic to myself and Blake as well."

"As is to me." Ruby replied.

"And me." Ren added.

"Alright well it's time we left." Blake insisted. "I thought I heard something around us, so let's go."

"Right." Ruby nodded. "Follow me and be sure to keep-"

"LOOK OUT BELOW!"

Ruby froze. Blake froze. Ren and Adam certainly froze. They all recognized that voice.

' _Oh no…'_ they simultaneously thought.

Everyone looked above and Ruby's eyes almost bulged from her sockets when she saw that familiar yellow flash of hair. Blake raised an eyebrow in bewilderment and rubbed her eyes from seeing a flash of white light blinding her eyes. Ren and Adam instantly recognized that attire as it immediately caused the hair on the back of their necks to stand. Nora and Neo, unaware of who this person was, both watched in full interest.

It didn't matter to Nora as she mimicked the sound of a bomb falling. A person was crashing to the ground and she eagerly waited for the inevitable to happen. Neo didn't know why but when she saw this girl, a tingle of hatred ran through her. She wasn't sure if it was because of those GIANT, in her mind, "milk duds" on her chest, which she "was not" jealous of. Or if it was because of that "bubblish" bottom she was packing. Either way, Neo didn't like this girl and was eagerly waiting for her crash with an almost sinister look.

The faller was none other than Yang Xiao Long who, once again, was coming down from the sky. But this time her body was flailing around with the wind causing her to spiral under control. Despite that, Yang could catch a few glances below and instantly saw her sister, the mysterious beauty, those two hunks of men she, oh so much, adored, and two new faces. Instantly, she got an idea that made her grin.

"BABY SISTER, CATCH ME!"

She steadied herself enough where she was now falling towards Ruby's side. She opened her arms wide and smiled brightly, even tearfully but it was hard to see with her shades on, and there she saw her cute little sister staring up at her as she fell.

The plan was foolproof. She envisioned Ruby giving a scared reaction and immediately rush to her aid, and with her arms wide open, ready to save her big sister from a painful fall.

Then Yang would fall into those adorable little arms and embrace her chubby cheeked sister tightly and say "oh thank you little sister!" where Ruby would reply how she thought she lost her big, awesome, and VERY beautiful big sister!

And then Yang would reply never and the two would have that sisterly bond she was waiting for. After that, the two would become best friends forever and go on many adventures, save the world and, when Ruby turns seventeen, have an orgy with hot stuff, horny boy, and feisty as a birthday surprise! It would be perfect!

Yang thought of all that in her head with her eyes closed in order to imagine how beautiful it looked in her mind. And when she was ready to set her plan into motion, she opened her eyes, ready to see her sister. But shock filled her mind when Ruby was no longer below her. In her place, was nothing but the colorless, hard stone. Stone that was mere milliseconds away from her face.

' _Oh shi-'_

She couldn't even finish her thought as everything went black.

"It was, trust me."

"Are you sure? You could have-"

"Her velocity was too fast. If I tried to help I would have been crushed, so I'm very sure."

"Yes but… she's been unconscious for almost three minutes.

"She will be fine."

"… There goes thousands of years of history… inside a giant hole."

"Better than catching her."

"Whoa! I can't believe she made a hole that big! I mean I make big holes all the time but she REALLY made a big hole! It was soooo awesome!"

Yang could hear all the voices around her. She groaned as she tried to move but felt her body grow stiff. After a few seconds, she tried again, this time slowly, and could rise her upper body but groaned again from the pain. She thanked whatever lucky stars she had that her aura was already working on healing her.

"Look she's awake. See, I told you she would be fine."

Yang slowly opened her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the lighting. She felt a little dizzy but blinked a few times as she rubbed her head gently. When everything felt normal she looked up and realized that everyone was staring down at her, forming a small circle. There was a momentary silence until she gave a toothy grin and said, "Hey everyone! Just wanted to drop in with a Yang!"She was the only one to laugh.

She earned a few disapproving stares and sighs. She was used to that, one day she will have someone admire her comedic relief and, shocking enough, there was sudden a giggle. Yang's eye widened. She immediately stood up and looked around swiftly. She followed the trail of giggles to an orange haired girl in pink cupping her mouth and, actually, laughing. Laughing at her joke.

Yang thought that she was still unconscious, or perhaps died and gone to paradise. But no, it was reality and she was staring it in the face.

Whoever this girl was, was actually giggling. And there was more, the giggling soon turned into chuckling, and then sprung into a full-on laughter.

"That... that was good!" Nora laughed as she grabbed her sides. "You… you said YANG… instead of BANG!" she said in between laughs and air.

"You... you think I'm funny?!" Yang asked flabbergasted as she got out of the hole she made.

"You... you... are so... funny!" Nora praised. However her laughter stopped as soon as Yang got close and grabbed Nora by the shoulders.

"You... really think I'm... funny?!" Yang repeated.

Nora raised an eyebrow and examined Yang up and down. She then grinned as she nodded. "My lady, you have the comedy touch that comes once in a life time!" she said in a southern bell accent and raised a thumbs up. "You are a golden ticket of chuckles!"

At that moment Yang got a bit teary and couldn't restrain herself anymore. She quickly embraced Nora in her arms and spun her around multiple times. "You're the first person to laugh at my joke!"

Nora couldn't help but laugh some more as she enjoyed the ride.

"I'm Yang Xiao Long! Local comedy genius, who's also a gorgeous natural blonde!" Yang cried happily.

Nora squealed in delight and hugged Yang back while still spinning. "I'm Nora Valkyrie! An energetic girl who's all about fun and adventures! Oh and sloths, and pancakes, and making Ren do silly things with me!"

As both girls cheered and laughed, Neo didn't know why but seeing this blonde headed bimbo befriending her partner didn't sit right with her. She was HER buddy, not hers! Her cheeks puffed out and turned red. She especially felt angry when the girl was shaking her... "melons" right in front of her as if to remind Neo of what she doesn't have.

 _'Who needs big loads of fat in the chest anyway! My body is just loaded with potential so who cares!'_ She thought crossing her arms with a silent 'hmph'. Even though she thought this, her eyes were slightly watery. _'Why is life so mean...'_

This didn't go unnoticed as Adam stared at the multi-color haired girl with a raised eyebrow. Neo spotted the faunus boy looking at her and stuck her tongue out while turning away from him.

This confused Adam as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. _'What's her problem?'_

Ruby felt that this charade has gone on for too long, and cleared her throat loud enough for her sister to hear. "Yang... please stop and let go of Nora."

As if on command, Yang stopped and turned to Ruby. Without question she let go of the orange haired girl who pouted due to her "ride" stopping so suddenly.

Ruby nodded and crossed her arms. "Good now listen Yang I-"

"Baby sister!" Yang suddenly shrieked and glomped on top of her younger sister as she furiously rubbed her cheek to Ruby's.

"Yang, stop!"

"Ruby I missed you so much! I was looking all over for you in the forest but I couldn't find you anywhere!" She cried. "You have to forgive your older sister too because I wasn't just looking for you! I started thinking about hot stuff, horny boy, and feisty! Speaking of which," she turned to Ren, Blake, and Adam, "Hey you three! Did you miss me?" She asked with a wink.

Ren blushed a bit while Adam looked away. Blake actually took a step back and placed a hand on her weapon in case this crazy girl decided to do something.

"And before I knew it, I started looking for them too!" A shiver crawled down the said serchees back. "But now I found you! But it sucks because I can't be your partner now!"

Even though Ruby already new that, she silently breathed a sigh of relief, as did Ren, Blake and Adam. And after a couple seconds of escaping her sister's grip, Ruby got up and dusted herself off. "Yang... while it is unfortunate that we... can't be partners." She lied. "You need to find a partner yourself. The others here are already partnered up so none of them are available."

Adam nodded as Blake leered at Yang. Neo, in fact, wrapped an arm around Nora protectively and pulled the confused girl away with a silent growl.

Despite the looks she received, Yang just sighed almost defeatedly. "I know Rubes, by the way is hot stuff your partner?" she asked and pointed towards Ren.

He stiffened as Ruby nodded and paled when Yang smirked. "Ruby, my dear sister I am so~ proud of you! Already claiming your man huh? Thatta girl! But remember baby sister, sometimes you got to share the wealth with family." Ren slowly backed away as Yang wiggled her fingers and slowly walked towards him. "Don't worry hot stuff, I just wanna make sure you can handle me before I let you have your way with my adorable little sister." Never in Ren's life had he met a woman so perverted before. He could even see some drool as she neared him.

"Don't worry~ I'll be gent-"

Ruby got tired of Yang's antics and elbowed her sister on the head. The impact sent her back on the ground where she twitched slightly.

"Yang… please don't rape my partner."

The busty blonde shot up with glistening eyes and a happy grin. "Ruby, your hit was on point! You even aimed for the center which would impact the most painful damage to a person!" She cheered.

' _Apparently, I didn't if your still up.'_ Ruby though sarcastically.

Ren felt a trickle of sweat drop down his forehead. _'That woman is… inhumane.'_

"Listen Yang," Ruby started, "You'd best find a partner before it's too late. More than half the class will not pass this test. I highly recommend you to find someone fast before it is too late."

While Ruby did not like Yang annoying her with her presence, she didn't want her sister to fail like this. She has made a habit of always "just making it" in the past and while it may have worked, this time it's different. This exam decides their role as hunters in training and only a fool would not take it seriously.

Yang listened and actually smiled sincerely. She felt touched that her sister was trying to look out for her well-being when she should be doing that for her.

With a pat on the back, Yang gave Ruby toothy grin. "It's so sweet that my little sister is worried about me!" she pinched Ruby's cheek where she automatically received a slap to the face.

Ignoring the pain, Yang continued to grin as she placed her hands on her hips. "Don't worry about me Rubes for I, your amazingly awesome older sister, have already found a partner!"

This caused everyone to raise a few eyebrows in confusion.

"You found a partner?" Blake muttered a bit surprised.

Yang nodded, rather proudly of herself. "You betcha! How do you think I got here?"

"By falling from the sky?" Adam answered rather sarcastically.

Yang laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, that wasn't the greatest idea I ever had." She then gave a nervous chuckle. "In fact, I think she'll be pissed at me for leaving her."

"I'm sorry?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing!" Yang, spat.

"So where is your partner?" Ren asked.

All eyes turned to Yang as they expected an answer right away. However, she didn't and only stared up at the sky in silence as she looked all around.

"Yang."

"Hmm? What is it little sis?"

"Why are you looking at the sky?"

"Oh! I'm waiting for your question to be answered."

Ruby blinked. "What?"

"Just… give it a moment. She'll be here momentarily." Declared the busty blonde. "At least I think its flying this way… right?"

Ruby didn't know what she was talking about but decided to drop the thought. She then turned to everyone else. "Well since my sister has a partner who should be here momentarily, I believe the rest of us should get going."

"What?!" Yang screeched. "You're leaving me?!"

Ruby sighed and turned to her sister. "We have already completed our tasks." She held up the black chess piece for Yang to see. "We have no further business here."

"But you're just gonna leave your helpless older sister?!"

"Don't worry Yang I'll stay- mphff!" Before Nora could complete her sentence, Neo silenced her with her hand over the orange haired girl's mouth.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine Yang. I just want to get this test over with." She then proceeded to walk away with Adam, and Blake following. Neo dragged a reluctant Nora but Ren glanced at Yang with a small sympathetic look.

"Is it really wise for us to leave her?" he asked.

Yang was feeling grateful that her "hot stuff" was standing up for her. "Yeah, yeah what if I get attacked by a group of Grimm?!" she added.

Ruby sighed as she stopped and turned. "You are powerful enough to take on dozens of Grimm on your own. You'll be fine."

Yang pouted but she didn't give up. "Well what about creepy perverts who would try to gang rape me like in those videos!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Yang… if anything I think perverts should be afraid of you more. I've seen you when you're angry or… in the mood. So I guarantee you will be fine. And I do not want to know what kind of videos you watch at home."

Though crazy as it sounded, Neo couldn't help but blush and quickly jotted a few things down in her notebook before putting it away. _'Another one for the list. No one must ever know.'_

Yang was starting to lose hope and tried to think of something else until she, and the others, heard a loud scream that sounded to be approaching them.

"Was… was that a girl's scream?" Yang asked a bit unsure.

They all turned in the direction of the fearful cry and, in fact, saw a body flailing around in the distance and heading right towards them.

' _Another falling body?'_ Ruby thought and immediately dodged the person flailing towards her. However instead of a rather destructive, shattering hole being made like Yang, her older sister caught the person in her arms with no real effort at all.

Everyone turned to see who this person was and Ruby instantly recognized this person to be that Jaune Arc fellow from the cliff. _'Incredible he actually survived.'_ She thought.

"Isn't this the guy from the Cliffside?" Adam asked.

"I believe his name is… Jaune." Replied Ren, though he was a little unsure on the count of never interacting with the boy.

Blake crossed her arm's. "Is he alive?"

"Oh! Does anyone have a watch in case we need to mark his time of death?!" Nora asked a bit dramatically. "We need to prepare flowers and send some condolence letter to his family! Neo quick, write down a list of supplies we'll need!"

The fact that Neo actually got her notebook and pencil ready, caused Ruby to roll her eyes.

"Actually, I think he's still kicking." Yang confirmed. "I can feel his breathing! By the way he's surprisingly light!" She tried shaking him around in her arms and this caused the Arc boy to moan a bit.

"Hey he's waking up!" Yang smiled. And everyone watched as he opened his eyes.

Nora slightly pouted. "Aw, I had the plan ready and everything."

Jaune had never felt every part of his muscles ache before. He didn't like it. He didn't like how today was going either.

First with the locker incident, then the mean lecture he got from his "Snow Angel", then the terrifying landing and finally being flung across the forest where he was sure he landed on a large, boulder or something.

At first, he thought he was dead. But then he realized that because of the pain, he knew he was alive. Surprising enough, while he did feel like he landed on something hard, he did feel something soft and squishy to his left.

He rubbed against it a little and slowly opened his eyes a bit to adjust to the lighting. The first thing he saw was the bright blue sky, that he was going through a couple seconds ago. The next, he saw a pair of beautiful lilac eyes and a grinning face very close to him.

"Hey there sleeping beauty. You enjoying the feel?"

Jaune's eyes widened when realizing he was in the arms of a girl, a beautiful girl. This made him fluster but not as much as when he realized that he was feeling one of her breasts.

He flailed and fell out of her arms and stammered a lot of apologies and forgiveness. He tried very hard to say he wasn't a pervert, nor a creep and that he never meant to feel it.

Yang was simply enjoying this blond guy's attempts of modesty. Innocent cherry boys were always fun to mess with.

"Hey don't worry, I would have been insulted if you didn't like them!" She patted his back but the impact caused him to fall to the grown again. She laughed and apologized but quickly gave him a wink which caused Jaune to blush heavily again.

Yang was definitely having fun with this. "You know, I take great pride in my body so if you ever want to feel them again all you have to do is-"

"Yang, stop corrupting him." Ruby ordered and her sister pouted.

After calming down a bit, Jaune now turned to the red hooded girl and recognized her as that mysterious goth girl on the Cliffside. She was one of the main topics in the cafeteria because of the rumors saying she had "Demon Eyes", as some claimed to have seen in the bathroom this morning.

"I am sorry for my sister's behavior." Ruby apologized and gave a little bow.

Jaune couldn't believe how emotionless this girl looked and how distant her tone was. It was like… taking to a dead girl. Maybe the rumors weren't as bizarre as they sounded.

"You're Jaune Arc right?" Ruby asked.

"Y-yeah! T-that's me." He stuttered. Ruby nodded.

"I am Ruby Rose." she said and turned to her sister. "Yang, never try to corrupt innocent people again. People like him are fragile, delicate, and innocent."

Jaune couldn't help but feel like he was punched in the gut three times. Even the strange goth girl found HIM weak. He then realized that Ruby said this busty blonde girl was her sister. The two were nothing alike.

He then turned to the group behind him and saw the three people she was hanging out with on the Cliffside with her. Do goths always travel in a pack? There were two other girls who didn't look gothic but were instead moping around for some unknown reason.

"Jaune." Ruby called. "How did you get flung here? What happened to you?"

For a few seconds, he was processing what Ruby asked of him and in those few seconds he remembered everything.

Jaune couldn't finish his sentence when a sudden roar followed by an explosion cut him off.

Everyone turned and saw three people running out of the forest in the distance and heading straight for them. But what caught everyone's surprise was what came behind them.

A deathstalker, the famous scorpion like grim that were rare to see was now in full view and chasing these three-new people.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What in the-"

There was another roar but this time it came from the air and sounded incredibly high pitched. Everyone now looked above and Ruby went slightly wide eyed.

High above them a Nevermore, a giant raven like Grimm, was flying overhead and circling around. And while these two Grimm were very rare and incredible to witness, Ruby couldn't help but stare at the figure of Weiss Schnee holding onto one of the Nevermore's talons for dear life.

With so many things going on at once and multiple troubles just running, and flying, towards them, Ruby could only think of one thing.

' _We should have just kept walking.'_

 **And thus the eleventh chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, the main story continues.** **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT**


	15. Chapter 12

**`Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the Twelfth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First, I would like to say I AM SORRY FOR MY HIATUS! I had final exams for my semester so I had to focus on that!**

 **BUT I AM DONE WITH MY SEMESTER! So now I can finally focus on my stories for an entire month! YESSSSS! I have been so stressed and even came down with a sickness (no Disturbed pun intended) so looking forward to that!**

 **I want to say thank you to all the readers who have given me their patience and to a select few who even helped me with planning this stories future schedule as well! (You know who you are and you will be thanked in detail very soon!**

 **Also thanks to all who gave their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite.** **Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Cocizuzu for becoming the 350** **th** **person to favorite this story.**

 **P.S. A special thanks to Kitty-Kat Bell for being the 300** **th** **person to review.**

 **Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)**

 **To** **Osheana259: You are half right in your predictions of teams however in this chapter, the teams assembled, besides RBTR, shall be revealed. Also if I say yes then that spoils the surprise ;)**

 **To Littlest1: I have thought long and hard on the teams and I think the results will be up to satisfactory and hold great shock, in a good way, that will keep things interesting.**

 **To Tusbasa0129: The three new comers will be revealed literally in a bit! Stay tune friend.**

 **To Kaypocalypse: They will be revealed in this chapter, hope you enjoy!**

 **To Harley Jane Quinn: Glad to see a psychopath enjoys my writing. Be sure to introduce it to joker heh.**

 **To EndlessChains: Yes, the Halloween Special was fun to make and I am glad you liked it. I would have published it sooner it wasn't for what I already mentioned in the special's author's note.**

 **End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 12: Pieces Fall Together Part 1

To say Ruby felt annoyed was an understatement. Things were supposed to be simple but, as if Madam Fate mocked her, they were not. She had listed out her objectives prior to her launch, she had a tendency for that, and planned to follow it to the letter.

The list was broad enough to follow in step: land, find a partner, find the temple, get one relic and leave. Simple in the beginning but no further.

Though she managed to land without injury, find the only three people she tolerated thus earning her a partner, and make it to the temple earning her relic, leaving would prove to be the most difficult. All because of those obstacles in between her steps.

First and, potentially, the worst being her run in with Weiss Schnee. The dread of seeing the albino first outmatched any dread in her life. Were it not for her uncle's advice, she shivered. Only Madam Fate knew what her future with Weiss Schnee as a partner would have been like.

The next was the fight with the King Taijitu. That Grimm delayed their mobility by a couple of minutes and gathered more people when Nora and Neo emerged.

She disliked it. It was nothing personal nor did she dislike them, despite the little annoyance of Nora's loudness and energy. She merely felt uncomfortable with her group growing larger for a few reasons.

It meant stealth was no longer an option which Ruby grieved. It was the best option to leave the forest quickly and effectively. But the larger the group, the harder stealth would become, especially for those who aren't trained in silence. This also meant risks and dangers would rise and the probability of death increasing. Ruby already had enough blood on her hands, she had no room for more and did not desire it.

The final obstacle was directly in front of her and above her. The deathstalker approaching and the Nevermore circling. Not to mention the new three figures running towards them.

A sigh escaped Ruby's lips. In the end, nothing was going as she planned. And there was, potentially, one reason behind it all.

She turned, slowly at first then rapidly, towards her sister and gave her the fiercest of glares she could muster. Her right eye twitched when seeing Yang ignoring the predicament around them and instead, nuzzling the scraggly blond, Jaune, into her bosoms. For some unknown reason, she had picked the boy up again and snuggled him, refusing for him to escape.

Ruby knew enough to know she had no actual interest in the flustered male. She would have been more aggressive with her actions if so. But that didn't mean Ruby felt any less annoyed with her sister constantly teasing boys for fun.

It had been like that since she hit puberty. She tended to become totally oblivious to everything around her when teasing; a tendency Ruby had grown to loath.

And despite knowing very little of him, Ruby felt a little remorse for Jaune. The poor bastard had been stuttering and blushing the entire time. Yang did not seem to mind it and continued her playful snuggling. She mentioned him reminding her of a cute infant. The comment must have hurt Jaune from his eye's wincing for a split second before reverting into his timid state. It intrigued Ruby to see how red his face got when Yang gave him a flirtatious wink "volunteering" to be his "mommy".

Before things escalated worse, to a potential law suit, with rolled eyes, Ruby approached them. They didn't notice her until, with a swift and firm grip, she grabbed her sister by her shirt, nearly causing one of Yang's bosoms to pop out.

"Ruby! What are-"

"I've grown tired of your antics. Yang" The red hooded girl muttered through gritted teeth. She tilted her head back a little to show the seriousness in her eyes. "Start explaining how this all happened." she demanded. "Now."

The commanding tone in her voice was reinforced by the gesture upwards towards the Nevermore.

Yang glanced at it then back down at her sister. She quickly recovered from her sudden tug and offered a little awkward grin. "Well, it's a long story."

She averted her eyes to the side when hearing a faint growl from Ruby's lips. She could feel those silver eyes staring into her soul.

Without warning, Yang felt herself being pulled closer to her sister's face and forced to witness the grimace the red hooded girl bore.

"Summarize it." Ruby hissed through her teeth.

As both girls stared at one another, Jaune, still in the arms of Yang, did not know what to do. He was absolutely flustered and sweating with Yang's, nearly exposed, bosoms shoved further into his face. He could feel the warmth and softness from each plumpy goodness.

 _'Oh goodness, oh goodness, oh goodness think clean thoughts, think clean thoughts, think clean thoughts! But they're so soft- ah no! No, no, no, no, no! Bad brain bad!'_

In the end Jaune just decide just stay quiet for his own protection.

"Well?" Ruby asked.

Yang let out a dreary sigh as her head drooped a little. Her lavender eyes met Ruby's silver. "I… guess it all started when I woke up late. You see last night-"

"I. said. Summerize. Idiot!"

Both blonds jumped in fright from Ruby's venomous tone. Subconsciously, Yang squeezed Jaune tighter in her arms causing him to wince in pain.

"Alright, alright!". She cried franticly.

"Good, now talk."

"It was Weiss' fault!" Yang exclaimed. "She pulled me away to who knows where during out fight with the Beowulves!" She started looking a bit annoyed and averted her eyes. "She didn't even want to admit that we were lost and it was her fault! Ugh!" Yang stomped her foot against the stone.

"She kept denying it until we started arguing for like the hundredth time!'" She frowned and shook her head wearily. "So we just sat in the middle of the forest doing nothing until I look up and see a Nevermore!" Yang's attitude turned like a bi polar disorder from a frown to the cheekiest of grins.

"When I saw that bird I instantly got a brainstorm!" She cheered. "I grabbed Weiss and launched us up towards then the Nevermore and we landed on one of it's talons!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow with bewilderment. Yang noticed this and shrugged. "I was thinking that maybe we could cover more ground and maybe find the temple that way! I mean I wasn't wrong, we did!" She started swaying side to side happily. "I saw this place off a distance so I shot the Nevermore in the gut to try and swing it around to the temple which it did! I am a freaking genius!" The smugness in her tone quickly radiated with an equal level of smug on her lips.

However, the look on her face quickly changed into annoyance. "But guess what, even though I told her we'd find it that didn't stop Weiss from the constant complaining!" She groaned in frustration. "I swear it was just 'bad idea' this and 'this is dangerous' that! Like come on, be happy I found the temple!" She huffed a breath sharply.

"So to try and shut her up I recommended just jumping off since we found the relics and to quit her bitching. I thought she would follow since I jumped." Ruby could see a Yang grinning awkwardly as she shifted her feet.

"Unfortunately… she didn't." Yang chuckled. "Oh man, I can only imagine how pissed she's gonna be with me hehe… I am so screwed." She let out a weary sigh.

Ruby gave her sister the blandest of expressions. She should not have felt surprised by Yang's reckless plans. She does them so often that Ruby felt her patience thinning from the ridiculousness that only her sister could do.

And then, Ruby realized something; Yang consistently mentioned _Weiss and her_ a lot. A trickle of worry spread through Ruby's mind. Eyes widened, she quickly grabbed Yang again by her shirt, causing her to groan in surprise, and pulled her in closely.

"Yang," she stared with a moment of hesitance. "Are you… and Schnee… partners?" She slowly asked, hoping the answer wasn't what she thought. _'Please say no, for the love of the lunar goddess please say no.'_

Yang quirked an eyebrow to that question but grinned and nodded. "Yeah we are!"

Ruby felt as if part of her collapsed with dread.

"I guess I forgot to mention that." The blonde chuckled awkwardly. She did not even notice Ruby's hair drooping over her eyes. "Not gonna lie, I would have preferred hot stuff, horny boy, or feisty but I'm sure we can make this partnership work out!"

Ruby stiffened by that comment and felt a heat run through her.

"And besides, she is kinda pretty besides that bitchy attitude" Yang snickered and leaned closer to Ruby. "But you'll always be the prettiest girl in remnant my adorable baby sister! Come here and give me some cuddles!"

The heat inside Ruby suddenly burst like a wild fire. Her body was now shaking with her teeth clenched. Her heart raced faster, her vision felt blurry, and her mind started to go blank.

This feeling was familiar. An experience she hasn't felt since the day she took justice in her own hands. The same justice that got her expelled.

As Yang tried to nuzzle her cheek to Ruby's she was instantly met with a firm grip around her forehead and eyes that started to slowly crush her.

"R-Ruby!?" Yang yelped.

For the first time in a long time, Ruby was experiencing pure anger. And in the back of her mind, something poked pleasure in doing so.

' _ **Do it.'**_ chuckled a slow, inhuman deep voice. _**'Punish her for sinning.'**_

This voice was familiar. It would speak to her in the most unexpected times. She had no memory of when it appeared but it had been with her for a long time.

"Sinning?" Ruby muttered. The voice snickered.

' _ **Yes, they are sinners because they threaten you. By breathing, they will continue to do so.'**_ The voice sneered. _**'They are nuisances. They are weak. They are expendable!'**_

"Expendable?" Ruby asked.

" _ **Yes."**_ The voice answered _._ _ **"They are but thorns to your rose young one. You MUST pluck them to free yourself."**_

"I must… pluck them." Ruby repeated. "To free myself." She stared at Yang and her hand hardened.

Yang yelped again as her sister's grip tightened. "R-Ruby?!" she cried. It was all she could muster. The pain was numbing her vocals.

"You… and Schnee… are partners." Ruby muttered, this time with a low growl. She gripped her sister's face harder. "That is a sin."

"Ow! R-Ruby! This really hurts!" Yang slowly groaned. Her voice was so faint it was less than a whisper.

An odd sensation of numbing spread through her head. It felt uncomfortable and moving, almost like traveling through Ruby's hand and into her mind. She thought she heard laughter, but it wasn't from Ruby. It sounded… deeper, demonic, and terrifying with no hint of kindness.

' _ **Your time is done!'**_

' _What?'_ Thought Yang. The voice came out from nowhere and its tone sent a shiver down her spine.

' _ **Once you are all gone, she will be mine forever.'**_

' _What?! What are you! What's going on!'_ Yang mentally screamed.

' _ **And I will make all sinners pay!'**_

Yang now found it difficult to breath and lightly choked while gripping her sister's hand tightly. _'Ruby?! Ruby… what… what are you doing? Stop! Stop please!'_

She could no longer speak and helplessly stared at her sister. However, all she saw was Ruby's pupils dilating to what she thought was fully black.

' _Ruby… what-'_

"Ruby." A new voice called.

Yang glanced to the right and saw Ren placing a hand on her little sister's shoulder. She could see the confusion on his face as he looked at her.

"What are you doing?" he slowly asked.

When the hand landed on her shoulder, Ruby reacted with a small jump of surprise causing her eyes to shut for a few seconds. When they opened, Yang could see that they were back to their usual silver.

Almost immediately, Ruby's grip eased which restored Yang's breath. Her mind felt better too, but it was all so confusing. Everything she saw and heard, was it real? Or was she just imagining it all? It certainly felt real, and that voice; the thought was enough to terrify her all over.

She glanced back at Ruby. There was much relief when her baby sister spoke to Ren normally in her blandest of tones. The expressionless face she always bore made no doubt that she was her usual self.

 _At least for now,_ a voice inside her said. This sudden thought caused Yang to worry. Why would she think that? She had no reason to, it was all possible that everything was just in her mind.

 _But maybe not._ The voice spoke again.

Yang felt herself shiver, just thinking about the words that… _thing_ said still haunted her. _'Once you are all gone, she will be mine forever,'._

Imaginary or not, Yang would rather die before letting anyone take her sister away. Whether imaginary or not, the message alarmed her and she silently vowed to watch her sister more keenly; for there is nothing that would ever separate Yang from her sister.

Suddenly, Yang's thoughts were cut off when Ruby thrusted the arm still gripping her face forward with enough force to send her flying backwards.

Except Ruby herself.

Quickly losing her balance, Yang tumbled backwards on the stone where her face collided with the cold floor, hard.

Unfortunately, Yang was still carrying Jaune thus causing him, too, to fall. With a yelp, Yang released him causing the boy to fall and land on top of Yang, accidentally elbowing her, stomach. The impact caused both to groan in unison as their heads collided with the stone floor.

Ren shook his head at the sight then side glanced towards Ruby.

"When I said perhaps you should release your sister, I never meant that."

The red hooded girl only shrugged "I think it was an effective choice." Ren looked a bit unsure.

"Still… I don't think Jaune deserved that."

Ruby glanced down at the male blond on top of her sister. His body was sprawled over hers with his head and legs on the stone. She did feel a tinge of regret from causing him unnecessary pain.

"Sorry Jaune." She muttered.

She meant her apology, though her tone didn't sound at all sincere.

The response however did earn another groan from both blonds. With rolled eyes, Ruby ignored their cry and turned to Ren. "Since they'll be out for a little bit, fill me in on what I missed."

With a small nod, Ren motioned Ruby to follow. "The Nevermore is circling closer." She noticed the seriousness of his tone. "And I believe Weiss is in danger of falling."

He pointed upwards where Ruby observed the Grimm flying almost exactly above them. It let out a windbreaking screech as it's wings flapped fiercely sending gusts towards the ground. Ruby's eye squinted as the wind hit her face and she noticed the demonic bird's body gliding and swaying roughly side to side.

These actions caused Weiss' body to flail and dangle like a piece of paper caught in between two walls.

' _It's becoming restless.'_ She thought, and stared at Weiss' distant figure still gripping one of the Nevermore's talons.

In all honesty, she found some humored in seeing the heiress all helpless for once. She could only tolerate that, _'I am superior than you',_ attitude for so long.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing to find amusement from someone's misery, right? Especially if it is from someone like Weiss.

So, despite the white-haired girl's predicament, Ruby's eyes dropped and turned to Ren.

"And what of the Deathstalker?"

"It is still pursuing those students." Ren pointed ahead in the distance.

He was correct, the Deathstalker was right behind them hissing and growling as it's legs rumbled the ground. When it got close enough, the beast jabbed its arms forward aiming for the student's limbs and torso. It roared in anger as they jumped, rolled and twirled around, avoiding in every way to not end up in between its pincers.

"They seem to evade it's strikes well."

"But for how long." Ren muttered.

Ruby watched intently as the Grimm continued jabbing, this time using its stinger in hopes of cutting one of them off. However, the students were determined and continued to evade and run. As for the Deathstalker, it's stinger was trapped deep within the soil that it could not come loose no matter how much it shook.

This fascinated her. While she had seen, and heard, Nevermores a couple times in the past, she never had the pleasure of witnessing a Deathstalker before, no less fight one. Her Uncle was right, it looked and acted like an oversized scorpion.

"They seem to evade it's strikes well but they will need assistance."

Ruby nodded in agreement. She diverted her eyes from the Grimm and towards the three newcomers.

They were still heading in their direction and the closer they got, the clearer Ruby could see them. Almost instantly, she recognized the one in the middle as Pyrrha Nikos, the celebrity Amazonian. The bright red hair and bronze armor made mistaking her identity almost impossible.

The other two behind her were two girls who looked identical, very identical.

' _Twins.'_ Ruby thought.

They must have been; same green eyes, black hair, skin complexion and height. Everything about them screamed identical except for their opposite colored fashion.

One had long hair with cyan mascara highlighted around her eyes. She wore an all-white attire featuring a feathered scarf on a strapless dress with cyan lining. On her arms, she wore a pair of lengthened gloves with a silver chained belt around her waist and long white boots with blades at the heels.

The other twin had shorter hair and, like her sister, she too had tints of mascara around her eyes, only red instead of cyan. She wore a red strapless dress coated in black lining with long red heeled boots that Ruby secretly admired. Around her neck was a black choker with charcoal colored fur attached and hanging off her shoulders. Ruby noticed a pair of red metallic claws on each of her red gloves instead of blades liker her sister.

It was after a few seconds Ruby realized that she saw those two before. They were the same twins as before from the auditorium yesterday; the ones surrounded by boys. Both looked incredibly irate then and Ruby did not blame them. She found being surrounded by anyone irritable. The thought of crowds caused her to sigh.

"This is not good." She muttered.

Ren nodded. "I know. Fighting both a Nevermore and Deathstalker will not be an easy task."

"I was not talking about the Grimm."

Ren looked confused and turned to his partner. "If not that, then what?"

The red hooded girl did not reply right away. Instead she nodded over to Pyrrha and the twins and finally said.

"The group… its… getting unnecessarily large… and I dislike it."

Ren stared at Ruby in slight amazement. _'She isn't worried about the Grimm but rather an increase in people?'_

"We are more similar than I thought." He muttered.

Ruby glanced at him, but Ren's eyes already averted forward. "I do not like large numbers either." He said. "More people more slower mobility. But even so, we must not abandon our comrades."

"You are right." Ruby agreed. "We all have to leave now."

"What of the Grimm?" Ren asked.

"What about them? Our objective was clear; retrieve the relics and return to the academy. There is no need for unnecessary violence unless we have no choice."

"A tactical retreat." Ren muttered as he thought about it.

"Guys!" Nora screamed as she suddenly came running with Neo right behind. "There's a Deathstalker and a Nevermore!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow as Ren sighed. "You just now noticed them?"

"We already know of the Grimm's presence Nora."

"Oh!" the orange haired girl replied. "Well~ did you know there was a girl on the Nevermore?!"

"Yes." Ren and Ruby answered simultaneously.

"Oh… well~… did you know she's falling?!"

"Wait… what?"

"Oh yeah she is totally falling, see?" Nora pointed upwards enthusiastically. Ren and Ruby both glanced up to see she was right.

The Nevermore had flown too aggressively to the point Weiss couldn't hold her grip anymore. She let go and was flailing like a madman. Her body twirled and swayed side to side from the wind as her hair flapped everywhere.

"She is falling." Ren affirmed.

"She isn't slowing down either." Blake noted as she approached and stood next to Ren, her gaze never leaving the falling heiress. Adam followed behind and moved next to Ruby as he silently watched the scenario play out with crossed arms.

"She is a hunter in training. She'll be fine." Ruby declared with a minor shrug.

As if jinxing, Weiss was reaching for her rapier to summon a glyph when a sudden blast of wind from the Nevermore spiraling caused her body to flop backwards. The sudden force was enough for her to lose her grip on her weapon letting it fall faster than herself and losing her only salvation.

"That is unfortunate." Adam muttered nonchalantly. Nora nodded and imitated a whistling noise as Neo recorded the drop on her scroll.

"That is just life." Ruby replied with another shrug.

"Should we… help her?" Blake asked.

"She is going to die if we do not." Stated Ren.

"Nice of you to volunteer then."

The long-haired boy confusingly turned to Ruby. "I'm sorry?"

"She's all yours." Offered Adam and gently nudged him forward as he stared at them all with bemusement.

"You can do it Renny!" Nora cheered as Neo nodded and winked at him.

Blake gave him a thumbs up and nodded to him. "Save her well."

With no retort coming to mind Ren merely sighed and nodded. "I'll… return momentarily."

With that he took a step forward observing where Weiss was destined to land quickly before dashing off in sprint.

The others watched him run and when he was far enough, Adam turned to Ruby. "Did you send Ren just because you did not want save her?" Blake glanced at red hooded girl as well with slight curiosity.

Ruby didn't turn, or show any change to her casual expression, to them. Instead she crossed her arms and said, "I did see you or Blake jumping to play the hero."

To that blunt statement, neither of them responded.

"Besides," Ruby continued, now she did turn to them with the smallest of smirks. "It's a win-win. She lives and I don't have to touch her. But if she doesn't make it, it isn't my fault."

Adam coughed up a brief chuckle as Blake shook her head while covering her lips.

"You should not put that on Ren either." Blake countered and frowned.

"I am not." Ruby softly defended. "It would not be his fault either. If she dies it would be from her own mistakes and that Nevermore. Ren was just being a good Samaritan in trying to save his fellow comrade. These results tend to happen in combat after all."

Adam shook his head as he smirked. "You are truly wicked Little Red.

"I know." The red hooded girl replied and bumped fists with the Faunus boy as Blake rolled her eyes with faint amusement.

Ren squinted his eyes as he glanced upwards for the seventh time at Weiss's figure. To save her, he had to continue being accurate in his timing. But her body fell faster the closer she got to the ground.

The wind did not help as it swayed her side to side. He did not know if it was either from the Nevermore flying or just the natural gusts. But it mattered little, she was falling faster and he had to accelerate his mobility in hopes of making it.

' _She's almost down!'_

Ren kept his eyes on her permanently now. He could see that she closed her eyes and thought he saw glimpses of fear.

This caused a slight panic in his heart and a sense of familiarity. Fear was natural for him when he was younger. He always felt it when the other children of his village would beat him in the woods or embarrass him.

He shook his head.

' _Focus!'_ He thought and this time leaned a little forward to increase his mobility. His legs started to burn but he did not care. Seeing the fear on Weiss' face was enough to tolerate it.

She was nearing the ground and his legs started ache now. He powered through it, she would land in a few seconds and Ren was relieved to see that he would make it.

He smiled until suddenly, his smiled dropped and was replaced by a loud gasp.

Ren looked upwards and spotted it just a little to the right. He grinded the soles of his shoes into the ground and jumped to the left narrowly missing Weiss' rapier almost stabbing through his neck.

' _How could be I be so careless?! I forgot she lost her weapon!'_

When Ren's body hit the ground, he tumbled a little until he was back on his feet and glanced at the weapon landing stiffly in the ground, its pointed tip penetrated causing vibrations to run throughout its body before it quickly solidified its position.

He quickly realized this delay and his eyes widen.

"Weiss!" he shouted and dashed forward.

He was not going to make it. She just a few seconds from impact which made Ren panic. He felt anger rising. He was about to let a comrade die from his carelessness, he was about to disgrace himself, the teachings of his honorable elder, and perhaps the worst, his parents.

"No!" he acted quickly he still ran but this time he felt something pulse through him like a current of energy suddenly springing to life.

Without thinking he raised one of his glove covered hands and suddenly his fingertips sparkled pink.

' _What-'_

Before finishing his though he suddenly unleashed a small wave of pink aura that transformed into an oval shape. Weiss' body immediately came into contact with it, but instead of a splattered fatality, she was quickly absorbed by the oval as it scrunched her in then released her back into the air but not as high as before.

She let out a yelp of surprise as her eyes opened wide and came to a realization that she was still alive.

When the aura lifted her off, it returned to its oval shape and then suddenly disappeared into a dust like evaporation.

Ren was astonished by what he just did but did not have time to ponder. Weiss was still in the air so he quickly jumped and caught her midflight with one hand on her back and the other underneath her shins.

Weiss yelped again and turned abruptly letting her pony tail hit Ren's nose though it did not bother him.

When he landed, Weiss was now staring at him while holding her chest tightly. She was so close to Ren's face as he stared down at her with worry.

"Weiss, are you alright? Are you wounded in anyway? Please tell me now." He quickly asked and scanned her entire body for any sign of injury.

Weiss remained speechless. She kept staring at him, her heart was pounding so hard, so fast that she doubted it was from the fall. Her face felt hot and she could feel herself getting flustered. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to answer but no logical words could come out. She stuttered and quickly cleared her throat.

"I-I… I'm fine." Was all she could manage.

Ren nodded and let his shoulders drop slightly. "I am glad to hear that."

Weiss nodded as her eyes felt watery. She started breathing a little heavily and even felt some tingling in her most private regions that she prayed to the gods that Ren did not notice.

' _My hero.'_ She thought and a small flashback suddenly came to her when she was a six-year-old child in her large play room alone with no one around.

All her toys were neatly put away and she was laying on the floor with a picture book of an old fairy tale. There she saw the picture of a beautiful princess falling in fright, Weiss turned the page and saw that she was now in the arms of a handsome man, with long black hair, who caught her, who saved her life from death.

The two were staring at each other passionately which made little Weiss blush and awe in amazement. She felt her little heart race by how romantic and beautiful the picture was.

When she turned the page the man and the princess' faces became one as they held each other in a tight embrace. And next to the woman was a white bubble with only two words in it.

"My…hero."

"I'm sorry Weiss could you say that again? I could not hear you." Ren asked as he set the heiress down.

Weiss snapped back to reality and shook her head. She felt herself blushing with embarrassment by the fact that she said that out loud.

"N-nothing Ren! I-I was just thanking you for helping me from that hellish fall!" She chuckled awkwardly and turned with closed her eyes. She slowed her breathing and begged for her heart to beat slowly. It felt ready to burst.

Ren raised an eyebrow but did not question any farther. "Well you gave me a fright as well, I was worried we would have lost you."

Those words did not help in slowing Weiss' heart down. _'Curse his beautiful, caring soul!'_ She thought. "Well… thank you again… Ren."

She turned to face him now and cleared her throat. "On behalf of the Schnee family I will reward you for your valorous effort!" She said in a professional tone.

Ren shook his head as he smiled softly. "Your gratitude is more than enough for me. I am just happy to save a fellow comrade."

Weiss was started to fear that she will faint from her heart racing rapidly. _'he is so honorable and humble! Take me now and fu- what the hell is wrong me?!'_

She coughed a little and remembered something that made her blush a little more than she already was.

"W-well… while I respect your… decision Ren I must repay you somehow." She started shifting awkwardly. " So… at least have the pleasure of…. uh… kissing my hand."

Weiss panicked when she saw Ren's surprised expression and quickly waved her hands frantically.

"I-I am sorry if that sounded so arrogant! It is just a gratitude gesture that is in my family's tradition! Usually only men do this but when women are grateful they must allow the man to kiss their forehand and I deeply apologize if I sounded so demanding or forward! You do not need to do it if you do not want to! Unless you do want to- I mean…I… you… gah! Please forget what I just told you!"

Weiss felt herself die inside. She was always on point when keeping her emotions clear and calm. However, whenever she was around Ren, or even Ruby, she just loses it. She looked away too embarrassed to even sight him.

That is until she was caught off guard when she felt her hand being pulled gently and turned to see Ren kneeling. With one fluid motion, he calmly placed a quick and gentle kiss on her forehand before letting go.

"Was that ok?" he asked.

Weiss felt heat radiating from her cheeks. She could only nod as her brain decided to stop working.

"Good. Now come Weiss, we have to go now."

Ren quickly stood up and gestured Weiss to follow. After retrieving her rapier, the two began to run back to the group. It was then that they heard the screeching of the Nevermore and hissing of the Deathstalker growing louder. They quickened their pace though Weiss still felt hot.

The kiss was no big deal for Ren as he had done it to his honorable elder many times. But he was unaware of how flustered Weiss looked especially when she was normally pale.

She had only let one other man kiss her forehand before only because her father made that boy do it. In her family's tradition, only those of great worth can kiss or be kissed by a Schnee.

' _Father must never know about this.'_

' _I hope Weiss isn't coming down with a fever.'_ Ren thought as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. _'She looks abnormally red.'_

When he and Weiss arrived back at the abandoned ruins, Ren quickly approached Ruby with Weiss walking behind him.

"Looks like you saved the ice queen from her death." Ruby commented as she turned to Ren and Weiss.

The white-haired girl crossed her arms and scoffed. "Had I not lost my rapier I would not have needed any saving anyone."

"What sensible thing to say when her savior is standing next to her." Blake addressed with rolled eyes.

From that comment, Weiss caught herself and quickly turned to Ren. "I-I mean its not that I do not appreciate your aid Ren! Believe me I do! You are so noble and kind and-."

"It is ok Weiss, I understand what you meant." Ren assured a little awkwardly as Ruby rolled her eyes.

"It matters little now. You're still alive so now we can move onto-"

"Hey Weiss!"

' _Oh great.'_ Thought Ruby.

All eyes turned to see Yang walking up to the group with a casual grin. She was focused more on the heiress than anyone else and happily waved at her "Glad to see you made it partner! Now we can all be togeth-ow!"

Before she could even finish, Weiss had rushed with blinding speed towards Yang and delivered, what she believes, a justified punch on the head.

"You idiotic, fat chested bimbo!" screamed Weiss. "You left me! I could have died! I almost did die! What is wrong with you?!"

She was now holding Yang by the collar of her shirt and shook her violently. Her face was boiling with anger and the cheeky grin still on the blonde's face made her teeth clench.

"Weiss chill out!" Yang laughed. "Get it?! Cause you're an ice queen and-ow! Don't pinch me! Ow stop!"

Everyone watched the ridiculousness play out. Ren and Blake were confused by the whole thing while Adam took some amusement in watching. Neo and Nora were laughing while recording the scene with their scrolls.

Ruby felt a minor headache approaching. The only two people who greatly annoyed her were going to be partners for the next few years and study side by side with her.

She sighed. And was about to curse her luck until she watched those two butt heads with shaking fists.

' _Perhaps… these two would bother each other more than me…'_ She shrugged. There were more important matters to attend.

She turned abruptly to see how far the Deathstalker was.

It was not too far now. And she could see that Pyrrha and those twins are running exhausted.

' _Even combat celebrities have their limits.'_

Causing everyone to shift their sights to her, Ruby unsheathed her crescent rose and started walking away.

"Ruby what are-"

"Adam," Ruby interrupted. "I want you and Blake to me closely. Ren, I need you to follow in then divert to another direction and secure suppressing fire."

"What are you planning?" Blake asked.

Ruby did not turn back. Instead, she cocked her weapon. "We are going to aid them." She nodded over to Pyrrha and the twins.

Adam and Ren exchanged glances and nodded to one another. Blake sighed and unhooked her weapon from her belt.

"Now hold on just a second!" Weiss walked over and stood right in front of Ruby with her arms crossed. "You are not seriously thinking about fighting a Deathstalker are you?!"

Ruby side glanced at Weiss. "No. The plan is to keep it at bay while those three escape back to the ruins. After we let them grab their relics, we make our escape."

"That idea is preposterous!" Weiss cried. "You cannot delay a Deathstalker, every time you hit its shell, it only grows stronger! Surely you know this you dunce!"

Ruby took a second to think. In truth, she did know. Her uncle had never been specific on Grimm so he always had her research them on her own.

"I do. But I am still going."

It was then that Yang now stepped in front of Ruby. "I'm sorry Rubes but I agree with Weiss. A Deathstalker is too dangerous to fight alone.

"I already said I am not trying to kill it and I will not be alone."

"I don't care! This is not like some Beowulf Ruby! That thing is more dangerous! More powerful! It could kill you!"

"I am aware of that Yang. But I was taught to never abandon your comrades. No matter what. So, are you asking to stay here and let them die?"

"Better them than you!" Yang screamed and huffed deep breaths.

Her body was shaking as sparks of ember started to form around her hair. Everyone grew tense except for Ruby as she stared Yang down despite the blond now unlocking her bright red eyes. Weiss took a step back when she saw this argument getting out of hand. Adam pulled Blake back bit as Nora and Neo both stepped behind Ren.

"I am sorry Ruby but I won't let my baby sister-"

"Won't let me? Ha! Do not even try to start caring about my safety!" Ruby snapped as she blinked and revealed her eyes being all black. She took a step closer into Yang's face which caused the blonde to flinch a little but still hold her ground.

Everyone remained silent and watched as the tenseness thickened. But what surprised everyone the most was when Ruby said, in the eeriest voice, " **You did not in the past, so do not try and start now because I will never forgive you. We are not family.** "

Ren and Blake went slightly wide eyed as Adam looked away. They all knew what she meant but even so, that was a bit too far. Neo put her scroll down awkwardly as Nora, for once, stopped smiling and looked away. Jaune rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as Weiss could only remain silent, too abashed to say anything.

Yang gasped as her eyes reverted to lilac again. She replayed those words in her mind over and over to the point she shook violently. "Ruby...", her head dropped as the red hooded girl still stared at her.

"You… you…" She raised her head up slowly to show how big and watery her eyes were. Her cheeks were puffed out as she whimpered a little. Nora let out a little aw at how cute she looked.

"How could you say that! Don't be a meanie Ruby! That hurt my feelings!"

Yang now dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Ruby as she bawled her eyes out.

Ruby's eyes reverted back to silver as she shifted uncomfortably, trying to push her sister off."

"Yang… stop crying… and get off."

"No! I don't want my sister to go!"

"Yang… your acting like a child."

"I'm never letting go! Neeeveeeer!"

"Yang stop I… I did not mean it… so… please get off."

"No! I don't want you to go!"

"For goodness sakes Yang stop you are soaking my corset!"

"Tears of love!"

"…Yang..."

No one could hardly believe the two sisters actions. One second they looked ready to kill each other and the next... this.

"Nothing you do will make me get off!"

"What if… Adam, Blake and Ren each give you a kiss on the cheek."

"What?!"

"DEAL! NO TAKE BACKS!"

"Hold on!

"Ruby!"

"You cannot!"

"I object to this Rose!"

"Oooh Neo get the scroll ready!"

Ruby ignored all the yelling as she pushed her sister away. "We will discuss the terms later. Right now, we must help those three."

Silence returned as the shenanigans were dropped but not forgotten. She turned to Ren, Adam, and Blake. "Let's go."

Weiss scoffed. "If you really are going to do this then perhaps you could use more-"

"Respectably no Schnee. We need to be cunning and swift. More numbers makes that difficult." Now she turned and stared into Weiss' eyes which caused a tingling sensation in the girl's chest. "And no offense but you will just get in my way."

Without waiting for a reply Ruby took off creating a small gust that rose Weiss' skirt. She quickly pushed it down and clenched her teeth.

"You-"

A few seconds later, Blake and Adam rushed by her causing her skirt to slightly rise again. She was becoming irate as the tingling sensation was now gone. "Perverts, the lot of you!"

Ren placed a hand on the heiress' shoulder and smiled. "Wish us luck."

He did not wait for a reply as he took off to catch up with the others.

Weiss stared at his distant figure and a few times her eys dropped lower to his buttocks which made her blush.

"Good luck… my hero." She muttered.

"What did you say?" Yang asked as she wrapped an arm around Weiss.

The heiress sneered and shoved the girl off. "Nothing you fat chested bimbo!"

"What did you call me you flat chested brat!"

"What?! How dare you! I will teach you some respect!"

"You're just jealous I'm getting lucky tonight!"

"You are getting no such thing! Especially with Ren!"

"Don't be sad ice queen, better luck next time."

"I do not need luck!"

"Then tell you what… I was planning on sharing him with Ruby down the near future but that can wait since you're so tense~. So how about you, me, and hot stuff-"

"No! no, no, no, no…well maybe- wait no!"

As those two argued, Jaune looked in the direction of where the others took off. A part of him felt saddened that he could not do anything at all to help. He could not even bring himself to tell everyone that it was his fault they had to deal with a Deathstalker. And now they had to clean his mess up. Just like everyone else does. He knew Ruby was talking to Weiss but for some reason he felt as though the red hooded girl was looking past Weiss and really staring at him.

" _You'll only get in the way."_ He had heard those words so often that they practically owned him.

' _That's all I'll ever be. A burden.'_ Jaune thought and slowly lowered his head.

However, what he did not realize was that he was being watched by saddened eyes and a frowning face who knew what he was feeling just by looking at him.

And little did he know. That heavy feeling was also shared by another.

 **And thus the twelfth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, again I am sorry for my delay. But now that the school semester is over, the main story continues.**

 **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT**


	16. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hello my Dark Readers, I have returned!**

 **I am very, very, very, very sorry for my absence! But anyways I'm very happy to be back in the heat of things and I hope I can make it up to you this summer.**

 **To make it up starting now, I have written the LONGEST CHAPTER EVER! I'm talking over 60 PAGES and 20,000 WORDS!**

 **AND A BIG THANK YOU TO KITTY-BELLE FOR HER PATIENCE AND HELP IN EDITING THIS THING. MY GOD, I PULLED ALL NIGHTERS WITH THIS! SO HOPE THIS MAKES UP FOR MY ABSENCE!**

 **Anyways, welcome to the thirteenth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". A special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited. Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow if you like this story. And don't be afraid to ask questions or constructive criticism. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **P.S. ALSO CHECK OUT THE SIDE STORY "RBTR'S GRIMM TALES!"**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 13: Pieces Come Together

When the massive stinger struck down, Pyrrha felt as if the Deathstalker was toying with her. Like the many attempts before, the redhead successfully rolled to the side and continued running. But with each step, her legs started aching; her muscles cramped and her calves burned to no end.

She wondered if the Deathstalker knew this hence why it focused on her instead of the twins. But of course, she wouldn't want the Grimm attacking them.

' _I can handle this.'_

Were it not for her immense aura and training, she may as well have been dead. The beast would have already run her to exhaustion and devoured her body long before making it this far.

' _I'm still moving!'_

However, even a celebrity fighter had a limit. And Pyrrha felt hers coming, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. It was difficult not to; the heavy panting, the bits of sweat dripping and flying off her skin, and the minor burning in her chest. She couldn't fool herself.

' _Just have to keep moving!'_

Up ahead, Pyrrha spotted the twins, Militia and Melanie, which wasn't good. She remembered giving them a head start while she held the Death Stalker's attention back at the cave. The fact that she caught up to them so quickly meant the Grimm wasn't far behind.

' _This is not going well.'_ Nothing was. First with encountering the giant scorpion, then with Jaune being thrown away to who knows where, leaving Pyrrha and the twins no choice but to retreat with the Grimm following closely behind. Things were spiraling out of control.

It was then that Pyrrha noticed something, something about the twins. They were panting just as heavily as she was with probably more sweat on their faces than hers. Their makeup was getting smudged from the moisture and the Amazonian could see the small limbs they took when running. They were growing beyond exhausted and she couldn't blame them.

From how they looked, they wouldn't last much longer. The pained expressions on their faces proved that. Their legs were most likely overworking themselves and the only reason they haven't collapsed yet was from the adrenaline. At least, that with the desire to not end up as the Deathstalker's next meal.

But as if fate decided to tease Pyrrha and her companion's luck, a sudden screech vibrated across the air and the Amazonian's eye went up. The sky was darkening now. And Pyrrha could see a large black figure over her.

' _A Nevermore.'_ But it was not an ordinary one. The winged Grimm was far larger than any other she saw before. An average Nevermore would never reach that type of length unless…

' _Unless… it's an Alpha!'_

Pyrrha's eyes bulged. Alpha Grimm, were more powerful, dangerous and, intelligent than their average counterparts that go by instinct and bloodlust. They acted more like the surgical precision of a scalpel than a swinging knife. Every species of Grimm had at least one or several depending on its population. And they were always identifiable from whatever traits distinguished them from their common brethren. But what really made them Alphas, was how extremely difficult they were to kill.

The Nevermore screeched again as it flew closer to the ground. The massive wings flapped hard enough for Pyrrha to feel a forceful push on her back. She lost her footing for a second but corrected herself and kept running through the pain. She caught a glimpse of the Death Stalker gaining ground and tried to double her pace.

But it was fruitless. The wind was somehow restraining her legs like weights pinning her feet to the ground as she struggled.

' _It's wings… such power!'_

Her eyes squinted as rocks, dust and leaves flew around her body. Her ponytail flapped in all directions as she felt the air pressure weigh her back little by little. All the while, the Death Stalker shrieked behind her with what almost sounded like a terrifying cheer, followed by another screech by the Nevermore.

A sudden thought flashed through Pyrrha's mind then. _'Was the Nevermore helping the Death Stalker?!'_ She wondered. _'Are they working together?!'_

Normally, Grimm never aided one another unless they were of the same species. But it is unknown if that rule applies to an Alpha. Pyrrha's thoughts suddenly halted when she was knocked off balance for a split second. She cursed her carelessness as she quickly tumbled and rolled back onto her feet, but her eyes widened when hearing a sharp cry ahead of her.

' _Oh no…'_

Possibly the worst predicament to happen, one of the twins, Melanie, had fallen to the ground. The way she gripped her ankle told Pyrrha everything. Melanie's sister, Militia, didn't waste a second in turning back and dropping to her sister's aid. There was a mixture of panic and worry in her eyes as she examined Melanie's leg. The wounded twin cried a sharp pain as her sister frantically pulled her up in fear of the Death Stalker gaining. Another cry came from Melanie as she begged to be put down. Militia froze for a second but reluctantly did so. The two were now sitting ducks.

' _This isn't good!'_ Pyrrha thought and looked back to see the Death Stalker now gaining closer. Thoughts and decisions crossed her mind as she processed the situation. One of the twins were wounded, Jaune was still missing, and they were stuck in between two Grimm, one being an Alpha, with no way out.

Seconds of thinking felt like an eternity before Pyrrha finally reached a decision. Realizing the imminent threat, there was no other choice really. So, with a deep breath, as soon as she neared the twins, she spiraled around in the direction of the scorpion Grimm and unsheathed her blade and shield.

"Militia!" She called. Her tone soft yet strong enough to make the twin in red jump.

"Get you and your sister out of here! Find Jaune and get back to the school grounds, I will buy you as much time as I can!"

Militia's eyes widened. Pyrrha could see the panic in her eyes but remained calm to reassure her. Now was not the time to lose face.

"Are you like crazy or something?" The twin practically yelled, the frantic in her tone was crystal clear. "Don't do it!"

Her response caused Pyrrha to smile a little. It was quite rare for someone to worry for her safety, being a celebrity fighter and all, and she secretly appreciated it as well. "That thing will destroy you!"

With a twitch in her eye, Pyrrha's appreciation suddenly dropped, along with her smile. But she forced it back up and slowly turned around. "Just… just go!" She insisted, and took a defensive stance.

Militia was at a loss for words as she shook her head. Her bangs fell past her eyes as she gritted her teeth in frustration. "Stop being stupid!" She yelled. "I'm telling you that thing is-"

"I said go!" Pyrrha interrupted, her voice no longer holding any softness. She was no longer asking, but commanding. "I'm sorry but you will only jeopardize your sister's safety if you remain here!" The frustration was clear as she turned back and locked eyes with the twin. "Is that what you want?!"

Militia opened her lips to respond but no words came. It was like a flash of reality went through her as she broke her stare with the seriousness in Pyrrha's eyes. She looked down at her sister again and winced. She could see it all clearly before her, the pained expression, the slight twitch of her sister's hand grasping her ankle, the light grunts of pain escaping her sealed lips, and a small tear on the edge of her sister's eye.

The Amazonian was right.

Silently nodding, Militia slowly, and wordlessly, handled Melanie up with care to avoid any pressure on her sister's leg. When they both got back up, Militia turned to Pyrrha one final time and shouted, "You better not die!" Before slowly leaving.

Pyrrha watched the twins' slow departure and wished them well. She felt terrible for having to scream. Remembering it caused her to frown; but it was a necessary evil that she hoped Melanie would forgive her for.

A loud hissing suddenly brought Pyrrha out from her momentary conflict and, with a deep breath, she turned back to find the Death Stalker right in front of her. Quite Literally.

The hissing turned into a fierce roar as the Grimm thrusted its stinger downwards with such speed that Pyrrha barely had time to roll away. As the stinger pierced into the ground, she took advantage of that and began slicing the appendage swiftly. But its armor was too strong and received barely any damage from her blade.

The Death Stalker wiggled for a few seconds before thrusting back, retracting its stinger, and charged the Amazonian again. Pyrrha thought of another idea and waited for the right moment as she dodged the incoming swiping of pincers.

At last, the Grimm left an opening and Pyrrha took it. Despite the risk, she jumped around its pincers and landed on the Grimm's skeletal back.

The daring move angered the beast as it shook, with such abrasiveness, from not wanting to be ridden. Left and right, left and right. It even tried to pry her off with its pincers but failed to reach her. Instead it continued to shake harder and harder.

Despite the intensity, Pyrrha powered through it, refusing to lose footing, as she fumbled all over its bony structure. Every few times, she managed to swipe its back but, as expected, the armor was too strong. Several more attempts were met with little to no effect again until Pyrrha formed another idea. She held her balance directly on the beast's center and in one fluid motion, she twirled her blade and thrusted it down into the Grimm's armor. And to her relief, it worked; to a minor extent.

Her blade did penetrate, but only by a few inches. The bone structure was thicker than it looked. But a few inches was better than nothing. She could hear the Death Stalker screeching loudly. It obviously did not enjoy being stabbed. This time it shook more aggressively, either from panic or rage, Pyrrha did not know as she held onto her blade for support.

Below her feet, she spotted faint wisps of black substance oozing out like a small mist from the cracked armor. It felt hot under her face as it evaporated into the air within seconds and repeating the process over and over.

Pyrrha watched this happen with horror and minor fascination. It reminded her of what she mentioned to Jaune when they found each other earlier.

' _The monsters we fight lack soul… they are the darkness.'_ She felt a chill run through her spine as the mist still emerged.

Unfortunately, the Grimm finally had enough. Instead of shaking side to side, it spiraled in a circle as it hissed. As if like a response, the Nevermore screeched right after and flew low to the ground again pulsing heavy winds to increase again. It felt like a hurricane now. The rocks and dirt now picked up speed and were beginning to scrape Pyrrha's arms and legs. She grunted in pain and held her shield tightly over her body to protect what little she could.

But unable to do anything else, Pyrrha had no choice but to fall back. The wind was just too much. When she jumped off, she felt her body being carried by the wind as she spiraled around. She did not even realize the Death Stalker's preparation until it was too late.

When she landed, her eyes could only widen when she came face to face with the side of its pincer. The impact was hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs and launching her into the ground, tumbling a few yards back. Scrapes and bruises were already forming around her arms and legs as she shakily rose. Her aura was already trying to heal her, but she had no energy left to run or move. Her legs finally grew too tired to respond.

All she could do was see the Death Stalker approaching, letting out a triumphant hiss into the air as it positioned its stinger over her head. Pyrrha glanced at the dangling, yellow tip then stared into the Grimm's multiple red eyes. There was no soul to be seen, no remorse. Only blackness and cold. And after what felt like an eternity, the stinger finally thrusted down, leaving Pyrrha only to sigh as she closed her eyes.

' _I'm sorry everyone.'_

But when she heard a sudden metallic clanking followed by a roar, her eyes flew open in time to see a flash of red.

When the flash became clear, she was beyond surprised. There, standing in front of her, was a short, red hooded girl wielding a large mechanical scythe. The curved blade somehow blocked the Death Stalker's stinger, and in one fluid motion the girl twirled the weapon around and knocked the tail away causing the Grimm to tumble off balance.

Ruby, glaring at the Death Stalker, remained still and vigilant. The urge for combat grew as the beast regained its stability and charged at her. She smirked as she fired a shot into the ground, launching her up and over the Grimm.

Now completely forgetting Pyrrha, the Death Stalker turned to pursue Ruby but was met with a sudden force impacting its left side.

Blake recoiled onto the ground and felt a little pain in her leg after delivering her kick.

"It's body is too strong for normal attacks!" She called. And Ruby grunted as she slammed her scythe into the ground.

"Then shoot its legs! Keep it focused on us!" She yelled and open fired at its limbs. Blake nodded, switching her blade into gun form and fired as well. The Death Stalker grew irritated at the sudden barrage of bullets and started swiping rapidly at both girls.

But as one dodged, the other fired, and the two repeated over and over. The Grimm had no luck in getting close and was now swiping in blind rage. In its efforts, it almost hit Ruby were it not for Ren suddenly appearing from behind the Death Stalker and twirling both his blades into its hind legs.

The ambush was enough to distract the creature long enough for Ruby to jump away safely.

As the three continued their run around with the Grimm, Pyrrha watched with widened eyes. The newcomers' coordination, their timing, and attacks were incredible. When one fell short, the others distracted the Death Stalker; and when one had an opening to strike, the others defended them. They moved with such swiftness the Death Stalker could not keep up at times.

Pyrrha was so focused on the strangers, so engrossed in the battle, that she did not even notice someone standing behind her. And when he placed a hand on her shoulder, the redhead let out a gasp of surprise. She turned quickly, ignoring her weariness, with sword in hand ready to strike only to stop when she saw a Faunus boy with red hair and sunglasses instead of a threat.

At least she thought so. The boy did not offer a smile. He did not look happy, nor angry. He only stared at her with no emotion readable on his face. Pyrrha raised an eyebrow and felt a chill run down her spine from his staring. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"What are you doing?" His tone was low and husky.

Pyrrha was confused and couldn't think of a reply. "I…" Her mind drew blank from the weariness now returning. Her lips didn't form any more words.

"Ok… answer me this then… do you want to live?"

Eyes widened, Pyrrha was taken aback. Her back even jumped upwards like a scared rodent. She didn't know whether he was threatening or not, and his blank face was not helping in reassuring her. "I… I'm sorry?" She felt herself cringe; that was a ridiculous answer and she was cursing her exhaustion. She hadn't been thinking, it just spurted out.

Her reply didn't satisfy the Faunus boy either as he sneered as if insulted and got on his knees to eye level.

"Do you want to live?" He repeated, this time with frustration clear in his voice. The only hint of emotion readable.

Without thinking again, Pyrrha nodded and spurted out, "I... yes… of course I do!"

The boy didn't reply at first. He nodded and looked pass her towards the other strangers engaging the Death Stalker. Despite the sunglasses, Pyrrha could see a small glint in his eyes before he turned back to her.

"If you mean it then get up and head to those ruins!" He ordered, nodding towards its direction. "We'll handle the Grimm."

Pyrrha frowned. She was about to interject and offer her assistance but she still felt an overwhelming exhaustion run through her body. She felt a small hint of anger and frustration with herself. She didn't want to just run while others fought. She was a fighter as well, but her thoughts suddenly went towards Melanie. She wondered if this is how the twin felt when she sent her away.

She shook her head, that was different than now. With a deep breath, Pyrrha slowly rose to her feet, using her sword for stability and ignoring the fatigue, but it was too much as she nearly collapsed if Adam hadn't caught her and eased her down.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes… I just… need a minute to rest. Then I… can aid you."

Adam inwardly frowned and Pyrrha thought she heard him grunt. "You can barely aid yourself much less us." He wasn't trying to sound rude. He regretted what he said when he saw the wince in Pyrrha's eye.

"Sorry." He muttered and glanced back at Blake, Ruby, and Ren. He could see, despite their management, the Grimm was still difficult to deal with. They needed help. But looking down at Pyrrha's vulnerable state caused him to sigh.

' _Why is being nice so difficult.'_ He wondered then kneeled. "Look…" he said and earned Pyrrha's attention. "You need to recover. You're in no condition to fight." Pyrrha opened her mouth to object but Adam raised one finger up. "I'm not questioning your skills. I only advise that you rest first. You did your part. Now let us do ours."

Pyrrha looked away and lowered her head. As much as she hated to admit, he was right. And her fighting it wouldn't help anyone. Being in a vulnerable position felt odd. All her life, she aided and cared for others. But being on the other end, she never felt so helpless.

"Are you listening?" Adam suddenly snapped his fingers. "I said you're fine. No need to beat yourself up." When she wouldn't look back up, Adam sighed again and muttered, "Believe me, I understand the feeling."

Pyrrha thought she heard a softness in his voice. But it must have been in her head. Still she did look back up at him and with a heavy heart she nodded. Adam nodded as well and placed her arm around his shoulder. "Alright, since you can't walk I guess I'll-"

"I'll take her!"

Adam and Pyrrha simultaneously turned in the direction of the new voice to see the blond boy Jaune running over to them. When he finally reached them, his face was sweaty and hunched over slightly out of breath. Adam had to admit, aside from how fragile he looked, he acknowledged the boy's effort to help. It was idiotic, but admirable nonetheless

"Oh god… I can feel my lungs trying to kill me!"

At least, just a little. After a few seconds, Jaune wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to Adam. "I'll take her." He repeated, his tone was soft but firm. "I think they'll need you up there." He gestured to the others still tangling with the Death Stalker.

Adam glanced at Pyrrha then back to Jaune. While, again, the boy didn't look to offer much, he did have some potential in something. With a nod, he carefully handed Pyrrha over to the blond's care and nodded. "Alright, get going." He ordered and unsheathed his weapon. Both Jaune and Pyrrha watched as he twirled it around a bit before racing off to join the others.

"So… cool." Jaune muttered as he watched Adam take off in minor awe. Pyrrha smiled and lightly nudged him back to reality.

"You know Jaune, it was also cool of you to come and help me." She said and could feel a little heat in her cheeks. Jaune looked down at her and smiled as the redhead thought he noticed her subtle hint.

"Are you kidding? I'm nowhere near that kind of level of coolness!" Pyrrha sweat dropped. But just a little. Before Jaune started walking them back to the ruins. "But… thanks Pyrrha… no one ever put me and cool in the same sentence before."

The redhead's smile returned. "You're quite welcome Jaune."

"Hey, it was really cool of you to take on that giant Scorpion!" Pyrrha laughed but then stopped when she saw Jaune's smile turn into a frown. "And… I'm so sorry… it was my fault that this all happened… that it followed us… the twins… you… I… maybe I don't have what it takes… to be a hero…"

Pyrrha rose her head and frowned. It was hard not to say he wasn't wrong, but at the same time it wasn't all his fault. And seeing his saddened face hurt her chest. So with a small touch and an ounce of confidence, Pyrrha leaned her head on his shoulder causing the blond boy to gape and stutter from the unexpected move.

"Jaune… I'm not mad at you. Mistakes often happen. But they are what makes us learn and offers us hindsight to better ourselves. I can never hold this against you or blame you for what happened to me. It was my own choice and I am the one who is at fault as well. And being a hero isn't always about the "cool moves" or power one has. We don't always have to be strong on the outside. What makes a true hero… is risking your life to help those in need. To put the safety of others over yourself. To sacrifice for the greater good. A true hero comes from within. That is what makes a true hero Jaune.

The blonde boy didn't smile, but Jaune wasn't frowning anymore. Instead he pondered her words carefully. _'A true hero… comes from within huh…'_

Pyrrha was worried that maybe her words weren't enough. And she feared she worsened the situation when he looked away from her. But when he turned back, a wave of relief burst when she saw him smiling again.

"Thanks, Pyrrha. I… I needed that."

The Amazonian smiled, feeling her heart race for a second before calming down. "Of course, Jaune. And thank you for rescuing me."

The blond boy laughed and nodded letting their conversation end into a comfortable silence as they walked away from the combat zone.

While the two made their way towards the ruins, Adam immediately joined the fray against the Death Stalker. Without stopping, he rushed in and jumped on the Grimm's back while it was distracted with Ren.

The Death Stalker hissed in anger at having another person on its back yet again. And like Pyrrha, it started shaking violently to force Adam off. However, unlike the Amazonian, Adam still held on. He did not show any signs of struggling, in fact he was smirking.

As the Death Stalker rampaged all over, Adam rose his unsheathed blade into the air, twirled it, and thrusted it down into the cracked piece Pyrrha caused earlier which echoed into the air. The black mist still crept through but now it gushed out like a geyser of smoke.

Adam was satisfied at hearing the Grimm's cry. It shook faster out of desperation to get him off. The rough movement still had no effect on the Faunus and the beast was now panicking. It screeched. The ground trembled as it wobbled around in agony.

Ignoring the ringing in her ears, Ruby took advantage of the creature's vulnerability and rushed behind it. With a clean swipe, she sent her scythe right into its hind legs slicing two of them apart.

It let out another screech. The Grimm collapsed with a loud thud as it tried to turn around to grab Ruby, but she already retreated a safe distance away. Once again distracted, Ren and Blake charged, side by side, firing at its tail.

However, the Death Stalker had enough of the impacts. In a blind rage, the monstrous scorpion flailed with all its might in a full circle slamming its tail into Ren and Blake causing both to tumble onto the ground.

The Grimm was now shaking with such aggression that even Adam couldn't stay on anymore. As he jumped off, the Death Stalker had already turned and launched its pincer towards him. Without much chance of reacting, the massive appendage knocked him back with such force he dented into a tree.

Adam let out a loud grunt on impact and as he felt the wind leave his lungs. When he fell to the ground he growled as he gripped his sword tightly. The Death Stalker roared in victory as it gained the upper hand. It now charged at Adam but was stopped when Ruby fired a couple of shots at its eye. Though unfazed, the Death Stalker turned to her at having remembered her being responsible for cutting its legs and charged with malice.

Ruby jumped and twirled several times to avoid being stabbed by its stinger. Despite being difficult to avoid, she could see the slight wobbling it did from the loss of its two legs. Despite that, it still moved as fast as it would with its legs still attached. Ruby realized that she must have pissed the creature off.

' _Seems Grimm also hold grudges!_ ' She thought while dodging another strike. _'Uncle Qrow would be pleased to hear this!'_

As Ruby continued to dodge, Ren was already back on his feet. He gripped his shoulder, feeling the throbbing pain pulsing and frowned. He closed his eyes and focused his aura into healing it and felt a relieving sensation as soon as he opened his eyes. He looked around and noticed that Blake was a few meters away from him still crouched.

His worrying instincts got the best of him as he raced off to her without thinking.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he kneeled next to her. Blake could hear the concern in his voice and nodded to reassure she was alright despite her panting. After a few seconds, she collected her breath and spoke.

"Yeah… it just hit my stomach… guess I got the short straw out of the both of us." She heard Ren chuckle a little and was a little taken back when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

Within seconds she felt a relieving sensation run through her body and turned to see his eyes closed and hand glowing pink. The pain in her stomach soon ceased and Ren let go as he opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry for that. I'll be sure to take the bigger hit next time." It was Blake's turn to laugh now. But the laughter stopped when she spotted her brother. He was hunched over, kneeling, and panting with his head hung low.

Blake narrowed her eyes with worry. She couldn't remember the last time her brother looked injured, the Death Stalker must have been stronger than she anticipated. It wasn't easy to get the best of him.

Just as she was about to run over to him, she was caught off guard when Ren suddenly passed her in the direction of Adam. His eyes were narrowed as he practically sprinted towards him.

Blake remained where she was, silently watching as he kneeled and exchanged a few words with her brother. She could see Adam turning his head with a look of frustration until, after a moment of silence, he sighed and nodded back to the long-haired boy. Ren nodded back and placed his hand on the Faunus' shoulder where his hand emitted a pink aura that soon engulfed Adam like it did with Blake.

She was silent the whole time watching. Part of her felt grateful, another felt confusion, but overall, Blake was bewildered with what she was seeing. It had been a long time since she had seen a human helping a Faunus. Of course, she hasn't been around normal society in a long time. And Ren seemed liked a fair person, but her habits of trusting was still thin. Either way, seeing Ren aid her brother, a Faunus, made her smile in a way she hasn't smiled in a long time.

Once all three were back on their feet they sped towards Ruby, who had been holding the Grimm's attention for a while. She managed to fire a few shots and even scraped a part of its armor, but overall it was a game of cat and mouse with the Death Stalker always playing the cat.

"You all took your sweet time." Ruby muttered sarcastically, cocking her weapon again. The others now joining her side by side facing the Grimm.

Ren smiled apologetically as Adam and Blake remained silent. "Apologies for that Ruby, recovering took a little longer than anticipated.

The red hooded girl looked side to side and shrugged. "I was… joking." _'I should work on that.'_ She shook her head at the thought. "Either way at least you're all back in the fight."

The battle now became a standoff as Ruby, Ren, Blake and Adam all silently stared down the Death Stalker, as it cautiously stared back. The atmosphere fell dangerously silent except for the Grimm snapping its pincers and silent hissing in acts of intimidation.

The group cautioned as the creature's tail swayed carefully over its head, ready to strike if provoked.

Seconds felt like hours as Ruby gripped her scythe tightly while Ren narrowed his eyes. Blake didn't take any more chances and switched to dual wielding her blades with Adam sheathing his sword ready to fire. He even contemplated whether he should make the first move or not.

But no one did. The wind was now picking up, and the Death Stalker seemed to take notice as it glanced upwards and shivered its scaly body. Then, to the surprise of everyone, it hissed loudly catching the group by surprise and braced themselves for the coming attack.

Though no attack ever came.

Instead, it suddenly started to retreat. Ren raised an eyebrow as he slightly lowered his weapons.

"What…"

The Grimm was now high tailing away into the forest behind it, limping rapidly with every step like an injured rabbit being chased by a wolf. The teens could see the beast collapsing a few trees in its way further down before finally losing sight of it and hearing its screeching fade away into an echo.

They all simultaneously turned to one another with looks of confusion. Never in any of their lives have they ever encountered a Grimm retreating from battle. At least not a simple-minded Grimm.

"Should we… pursue?" Ren asked a little cautiously. He rubbed his head at the strange behavior and turned to the others. Blake gave him as shrug as Adam remained silent, staring in the direction the Grimm left.

Ruby thought about it carefully and leered. A Grimm never runs from battle, no matter how injured or weak it is. It just wasn't their nature. But in the end, she shook her head as she retracted her scythe.

"No… let it run." She muttered. The urge for combat was finally dying down. "We have more important matters."

Adam sighed as he strapped his blade to his back. "We could have taken it." He muttered, crossing his arms. Blake rolled her eyes at her brother's overconfidence; but silently agreed.

"It doesn't matter now." Ruby replied. "It's gone. And we should be too."

"Then it's time we left." Ren stated.

The red hooded girl nodded. "Let's go."

Their walk back to the ruins was silent in an almost peaceful nature again. It felt as if no battle ever occurred. But that was how dangerous the Emerald Forest was. It draws an illusion to bring unexpected prey then surrounds them with its true nature.

Up ahead, the group could see Jaune and Pyrrha still walking back; they moved a little slow but seemed to be doing alright. Further up were the twin sisters, Melanie and Militia, almost reaching the ruins where the others were waiting.

Ren smiled when seeing Nora waving energetically. It was good to see his longtime friend again and nice to see her being her old energetic self once more. He never wanted to see the sadness she had months ago. It was too painful to remember, and he would rather not.

However, Ren also smiled at his surroundings. Aside from the Grimm, the Emerald forest was certainly a beautiful place. Healthy trees, colorful plants, clean air, silence and an impressive fog in the sky.

It was then that Ren suddenly stopped. _'Wait a minute…'_ He didn't remember a fog forming before; and thinking of it further, it was strange how quiet it was now. The long-haired boy narrowed his eyes as he gazed upwards.

"You ok Ren?"

Ren looked back down. His stop didn't go unnoticed by the others as all eyes were on him.

He didn't reply at first. He gazed back up looking left to right, an uneasy feeling hung over him. "I… don't know."

"What is it?" Blake asked, her eyes narrowed as her fingers trailed over her weapon.

Ren didn't reply again. His focus was kept towards the sky. "Something is wrong." He muttered.

No one dared to speak. Now everyone was on high alert as they remained in place, all staring at the sky.

Suddenly, Ren let out a small gasp catching the attention of the others as they saw his eyes widen.

"Where is the-"

A high pitch shriek erupted, startling the group. Ren turned around and jumped out of the way of an incoming large black feather piercing the ground where he stood.

"The Nevermore!" Ren cried.

Everyone's eyes scattered in multiple directions across the sky. They couldn't detect nor see the winged Grimm anymore from a heavy fog setting in.

Adam gritted his teeth as he gripped his sword. "Does anyone see it?!" He growled.

No one replied and an eerie silence emerged as the fog now thickened further over them. No one dared to move or make a sound. Each listened carefully for any sudden movements or flapping.

Then, almost like sudden rain, a barrage of black feathers started shooting down.

"Scatter!" Ruby shouted and rolled away. The others maneuvered in different directions as well. Jumping, rolling, spinning, and twirling in any way to dodge the never-ending volley of feathers.

Ruby activated her scythe again and began twirling it around like a temporary barrier as she ran. Blake did the same with her own weapon, using the elastic to whirl it around faster. Ren continued his acrobatic dodging until he stopped and felt part of his jackets sleeve narrowly rip.

' _Too close.'_ He thought with a drop of sweat running down his forehead. _'At this rate… no! Keep moving!'_ And he did, narrowly avoiding three incoming feathers on his spot.

From the quick peeks he caught of the others, they were doing fine deflecting the feathers. In fact, Adam stayed in place, slicing all that fell near him with impressive speed. Unlike the others, he did not have any type of defense for a volley which he sincerely wished for now.

Then an idea formed in his head. It was risky but better than running out of stamina. Quickly retracting his weapons after another evasion, he channeled his aura where his fingers started glowing pink and was ready to try it until he heard a grunt to his left.

He turned and went wide eyed when seeing Ruby on the ground with a feather caught on her hood. She cursed and tried to pull herself free but to no use. She was trapped.

Without thinking Ren rushed towards her as fast as he could while avoiding the feathers falling in his way. He thought she would simply slice the feather off but he realized from collapsing on the ground, Ruby dropped her weapon too far to reach.

The red hooded girl was now trying to pull the blasted thing off. But as she tried, more spiraled down, forcing her to roll left and right to avoid them.

Ren was closer now and silently prayed to the Lotus Goddess that his idea worked. _'Please just work.'_ He begged and focused his aura again.

Like before, his gloved hands started glowing pink, and the more he focused the stronger the glow. When he was now standing above Ruby he extended his hands up and a flash of magenta aura erupted from his palms, growing into a large spherical barrier around himself and Ruby in a matter of seconds.

Caught off guard, Ruby glanced up to see the feathers still falling but couldn't puncture the barrier. She released a breath she didn't realize holding and turned to Ren. He was in deep concentration with closed, narrowed eyes.

She could only guess how long he could keep the barrier up, though she was impressed with how strong his aura was. Still, Ruby frowned a bit. She disliked having to need others for help, especially if she could do nothing to be of service.

She then stared at his glowing hands, fascinated by a method she never saw before. She had heard of barrier abilities from her Uncle, but seeing one in person offered more insight than just hearing about them.

"R-Ruby…" Ren muttered, earning the girl's attention. "C-can you pull yourself out?"

Ruby could hear the strain in his voice; the barrier must have taken a lot of energy to hold. She quickly nodded and tried again. But with every tug, it did not move. She growled in annoyance and pulled with every ounce of strength she had.

' _Damn it, it's not moving!'_

"Please… hurry." Ren whispered and was slowly dropping to his knees causing Ruby's eye to widen.

She cursed and tried reaching for her scythe. It was just barely out of reach from her fingertips. She pulled harder feeling the hood choke her a bit as she scarcely touched the shaft of her scythe.

' _Come… on!'_ She mentally screamed, now angry with herself for being a burden. She pulled harder, feeling the desire for air escalate but ignored it and kept reaching for her weapon.

"Move!"

The sudden voice of Adam caused Ruby to halt, inhaling a fresh breath, and turn in time to see the Faunus boy with his sister rolling inside the barrier. In one fast motion, Adam and Blake twirled and sliced the feather in two leaving only a fragment of its quill remaining with the other falling outside the barrier.

"Pull it out now!"

Ruby did so with haste, and this time it came out easier. The quill penetrated deeper than she realized, nearly a foot into the ground. She sneered as she examined the hole in her cape and felt a wave of anger at the Nevermore.

After scrambling to her feet, Ruby quickly rushed to retrieve her scythe and when she grabbed it, the barrage of feathers finally ended. Everyone remained on guard as they looked in around.

Ren opened one of his eyes to peek up and saw the sky clearing up from the fog. He waited a few more seconds before feeling safe enough to finally drop his hands. The ceasing of his aura caused the barrier to fade away into tiny particles of pink dust, releasing the four teens in the open once more.

There were feathers as far as the eye could see; like a field, a long grassy field. The group was surrounded by them. They looked at all the destruction it caused, so many holes, leaves, and rocks all scattered. Many trees had quills spiking out of their branches and trunks, some even went through them leaving large holes and bits of feather pieces behind with several even collapsing off their roots. Bushes and shrubs were destroyed and beautiful flowers were buried.

"Such power…" Blake admired with a frown. Adam nodded as he caressed one of the quills. Just imagining the damage one could do if it penetrated someone was bothersome.

"At least we survived."

"How unfortunate for the plants." Ren muttered to himself. He gasped and suddenly dropped to one knee, now feeling the wave of exhaustion flow through him, and panted heavily.

This alarmed everyone. Blake, without thinking, kneeled over to Ren and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?" She asked with subtle worry.

Ren nodded as he continued panting. "I'll be fine… I just wasn't… aware I'd use… much aura."

Ruby's eyes narrowed a bit as she kneeled quickly to inspect her partner. She was internally relieved to see he wasn't injured. "You are an idiot. You know that right?"

Ren smiled through his panting and glanced up at Ruby. Blake frowned at Ruby and was about to comment until she heard Ren chuckle. "I couldn't let my partner… get killed on the first day."

Ruby scoffed. "Like I would allow my death now after coming so far." She and Ren exchanged little smiles, and the red hooded girl sighed. "Just make sure you don't get yourself killed over me." She whispered with soft tone.

Ren looked into her eyes and nodded. "I understand, Ruby."

"We have to go." Adam muttered as he gazed up at the sky. "Now."

A sudden loud and painful screech erupted again. The Nevermore now came into view flying high above them. They stared at its massive figure, both mesmerized and threatened by its size.

Ruby squinted her eyes as the winged Grimm summoned another gust of wind towards them. She quickly turned to Ren and spread her hood over him to better shield him. "Can you run?!" she asked.

He nodded and slowly got up. "Yes! I'm a little out of breath but I can still move!"

"Look out!" Blake cried.

The Nevermore was now diving towards them with its beak wide open. It flew so fast it was far too late to dodge. Everyone braced themselves as it neared but before it could reach them, an explosion suddenly erupted next to the Nevermore's head.

Large puffs of pinkish black smoke emitted and the four teens watched as the Alpha Nevermore's massive body tumbled into the ground. Its collision echoed loudly, destroying all trees in its way before recoiling and quickly flying back into the sky.

Everyone remained silent. No one could guess what the sudden explosion was until Ren sighed loudly.

"I forgot how much kick that thing has." He muttered.

Ruby turned to him. "What are-"

"REN!"

Without warning, Nora suddenly appeared from behind the group, surprising them, and tackling Ren to the ground. She ignored his grunting and flailing as she squeezed his body tightly while shoving her face in his chest. "OH MY GOSH REN ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! DID THAT FEATHER BALL HURT YOU!"

"Nora… I can't-"

"OH, I SWEAR TO THE LOTUS GODDESS IF IT DID I WILL MAKE CHICKEN SOUP OF THAT- WAIT! CAN YOU MAKE SOUP OUT OF GRIMM? NO RIGHT? OR MAYBE YES?

"Nora… I-"

"OH! MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY AND-"

"NORA!"

Nora ceased her chatty voice and raised her head up to see her childhood friend's face. "Yes Ren?" She asked with a wide smile and giggle. Her legs were kicking the air happily as she stared at him.

Ren couldn't help but sigh and smile back at his bubbly friend. He could never stay mad at her. "To answer your first question, I'm fine. To answer your second, I don't think it's physically possible to eat Grimm; nor do I think it's safe to try. Also, could you please get off me."

Nora puffed her cheeks and frowned but then smiled again as she shrugged and pushed herself off giggling. Ren grunted a little from her push and slowly rose to a sitting position. He dusted his shoulders off but stopped when he saw a hand sticking out in front of him.

He glanced up and saw that it was Blake's. "You alright?" She asked. Ren smiled and nodded up as he slowly reached up and grabbed her hand. It was surprisingly warm and soft to his pleasure. With ease, Blake pulled him up to his feet where he thanked her and continued dusting himself off.

The bow wearing girl then glanced to Nora talking up a storm to her brother wanting to see his sword. She could see the uncomfortable expressions he made whenever he was in an awkward position, and shook her head with amusement.

"I don't know how you deal with that much energy."

Ren glanced up towards his childhood friend and chuckled a bit as he shrugged. "It's easier than it looks." It was Blake's turn to chuckle, as the two exchanged smiles.

"Guys," Ruby interrupted, "We should all get going." She glanced up at the sky with leered eyes. "The Nevermore may have retreated, but it will be back."

"She's right." Adam agreed. "We have to leave now. Let's go." Without another word, the Faunus boy took off, and with silent nods everyone else followed behind.

The run felt shorter than expected now that the Grimm were gone. And when the group arrived, Jaune, Pyrrha and the twins were already there resting their tired bodies. Weiss was currently seeing to Pyrrha while Neo rushed over to Nora with the twins sitting of on their own. Ruby could see the little panting the Amazonian did. She must have ran when hearing the Nevermore. She then glanced around her surroundings, still seeing no sign of the Grimm and breathed a silent relief.

Her eyes then wandered over the, now larger, group and frowned. Not because of their exhausted states and injuries; but because there were too many people. Even if they were all experienced fighters, Ruby felt off by having so many around her. A twelve-man group practically destroyed stealth much to her irritation.

It was not her style, and she secretly wished she could leave them and go on her own. The idea even sounded tempting, it would have been easy. She already had her artifact, and the forest was so close. She was a master of silence and speed, she could easily slip by unnoticed, and perhaps even persuade Ren and the siblings to come with her.

There was a sudden inhumane cackling in the back of her head.

' _ **Weaklings reap what they sow!'**_ The dreaded voice returned. Its words were so clear but faint like loud fading whispers echoing. _ **'Leave them!'**_

' _But… they aren't weak.'_ Ruby thought uncertainly. _'Are they?'_

' _ **They allowed themselves to be wrapped in death's lovely embrace! We should not interfere.'**_

' _What does that mean…'_

' _ **Death is life my dear!'**_ The voice snickered happily. _**'It is the filling of the void! Death is life's will!'**_

' _How is that… life's will?'_

' _ **Petty questions remain ignorant! No one can change the outcome! Fate never changes!'**_

' _You are making no sense… if death is life's will then… are you saying the weak are meant to die?'_ The voice laughed.

' _ **They seal their own fate my dear! They are weak and deserve their consequences!'**_

' _But… isn't death all of our fate one day?'_

' _ **The strong survive the longest! Those weaker fill the void sooner than others! Now leave them!'**_

Ruby closed her eyes and pondered. Then as fast as she closed them, they opened. _'But… it would be wrong of me to leave them…'_

' **Personal feelings corrupt my dear! To survive, one must walk with death, not towards him!'**

' _But… what am I?'_

' _ **Foolish girl, you are his kin! Now leave them!'**_

Her thinking suddenly stopped when Ren hastily walked by snapping her attention back to reality.

"Pardon me Ruby!" He said while zipping past her.

Ruby stared at his moving figure heading towards the twin sisters and stopping right in front of them. Melanie had sat on a broken step with Militia kneeling in front of her using her upper calves as a cushion for her sister's leg.

When he approached, the twin sisters glanced up at him, both eyeing him up and down. "Excuse me." He said with a polite smile.

Melanie's eyes flickered a little, feeling her cheeks redden, her heart skipped a beat as she smiled at the sight of the tall pink eyed boy. Militia smirked as she examined Ren from head to toe again, while he looked too… gentle for her taste, he was certainly eye candy.

"How is your leg?"

"Huh?" Melanie blurted before shaking her daze and fidgeted in her seat, "Oh! Y-yeah, my leg. It's fine, it's just my ankle I think. Just… throbs like a bitch ya know." She chuckled awkwardly, "I don't normally fall on my ass hehe! I'm actually a natural in these heels!" Melanie subconsciously played with her hair, a trait she normally did when nervous.

She worried she looked like a fool when Ren didn't smile or laugh at her attempted humor. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her leg. Militia raised an eyebrow, and nudged her sister. "What are you doing?" She whispered.

"I don't know, help me!" Melanie whispered back. Her sister's eyes widened.

"Girl, are you like crushing on this guy?" Melanie shushed her sister sharply.

"Don't blurt it out for the world to know idiot!" Militia glanced back at Ren. He was no longer staring at Melanie's leg. Instead, his eyes were closed.

"Hey, don't get me wrong he's not bad looking." Militia shrugged, "It's just… I thought you'd go for someone more… aggressive."

Melanie scoffed. "That's your style sis." She then turned to Ren and slightly smiled. "As for me... I'm done with bad boys." Her cheeks reddened again as wind gently swayed Ren's hair. "And… I don't know why but…. something about this hunk just… interests me. And you know how I can pick them."

Militia shrugged again, this time with a smile. "Whatever you say sis." She rolled her eyes, glancing at the others. But her sight stopped when her vision caught a boy with spiky red hair a few meters away. She eyed him up and down several times and grinned. "You don't know what you're missing indeed~." She muttered and licked her lips.

"Excuse me." Both twins turned to Ren again. His eyes were open again as he crouched in front of Melanie. "I'm sorry but, may I see your leg?"

The white wearing twin nodded, no words formed in her mind. Ren smiled and gently placed his hands over ankle slowly running his hands over it. Melanie blushed and winced a little as small cry escaped her lips.

"Hey, careful with her!" Militia growled.

"N-no, it's ok!" Melanie reassured as she waved a hand at her sister. Militia glanced back and forth at her sister and Ren, her eyes narrowed, still unsure of Ren's actions until she saw the look her sister gave her. Eyes sharp, mouth tightened, and eyebrows narrowed.

' _Don't ruin this for me!'_ That look said, and Militia sighed. "Ok, ok. Just… be gentle with her ok dude?"

Ren smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry I caused you harm. I had to be sure where the pain was to better help you. I hope you can forgive me." Though sounding a bit... distant, his tone was sincere to the twins.

Melanie felt in heaven as Ren continued rubbing his hands on her ankle. His fingers were soft aside from the gloved palms. She only wished he would go lower if she had her heel off. Foot massages were always the best for her. Militia watched as Ren moved his hands, whatever he was doing was working its magic on her sister as she fidgeted in her seat, letting out small moans.

After a minute, Ren sighed softly and smiled up at Melanie. "How is your leg now? Do you feel any pain?"

Melanie was still in her trance like state of pleasure until Militia dragged her out with another nudge. Startled, Melanie moved her injured leg accidentally but discovered no pain. "Huh? It's… gone."

Ren smiled and slowly lowered her leg on the ground, not seeing the disappointment on Melanie's face. "Your leg should be alright now."

Melanie's heart skipped a beat as her sister smirked. "You some kinda doctor or something pretty boy?"

Ren chuckled, shaking his head. "Believe me, I am no doctor. I only used my aura to soothe your nerve tensions and pressure in your ankle."

Militia laughed. "You sound like a doc to me."

"Thank you." Ren smiled and stood up, turning to walk away.

Melanie frowned when seeing his departure. She wanted to call out to him, to say something, but she hesitated and remained silent. Militia observed her sister and rolled her eyes. Her sister never acted this way with anyone. She was always an in your face woman but seeing her like this was new.

' _She really has it bad for that guy.'_ "Hold it aura boy!" Militia called, "It's impolite to not give two beautiful ladies a gentleman's name, right?"

Ren remained still and thought about it. He was unaware of Melanie bonking her sister repeatedly telling her to shut up.

Aside from that, Ren knew she was right, he was so distracted with helping the girl he forgot to introduce himself in the true lotus way. How disappointed would his honorable elder be.

Quickly he turned back and kneeled before Melanie who stopped hitting her sister. In one fluid motion, he picked up her hand caressing it gently as Melanie grew darker shades of red. She couldn't even breathe when his lips touched the top of her hand. She felt like a princess being kissed by a handsome knight, one of her long-time fantasies that she will take to the grave.

Militia raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected that from Ren and felt even her own cheeks redden when seeing how graceful he did it. _'This guy is a smoothie.'_

When it ended, Melanie regained her breath and stuttered. Ren smiled then quickly turned and kissed Militia's hand as well catching her off guard. Despite saying he wasn't her type, Ren was proving to be more than just eye candy now.

With both twin's hands kissed Ren stepped back and bowed gracefully. "Apologies for my rudeness. My name is Lie Ren, but please, call me Ren. It's nice to meet you both. What are your names?"

Melanie shook her head. "Melanie! I-I'm Melanie!"

"Militia." Her sister said. Ren nodded to the two and silently walked away, leaving the two alone once more.

Melanie turned to her sister with a wide smirk as she nudged Militia. "Alright, alright. He's a little interesting."

"I told you I know how to pick them."

As Ren walked over to Blake and Adam, Ruby watched his interaction with the twins. The whole time the voice in her head called her to ignore them, to turn away, but after what she witnessed, she only had one thing to say to it.

' _Your ideology, is flawed.'_

The voice now growled with irritation as it faded away. With it now gone, Ruby decided it was time. The others had already gathered together, aside from the twins still sitting down, as Ruby approached them.

A sudden, familiar, shriek echoed across the sky causing all heads to turn. There in the far distance, the faint image of the Nevermore was seen.

"That thing's circling back!" Jaune pointed upwards and looked back at the group. "What are we gonna do?!" he frantically asked.

Weiss rolled her eyes and was about to speak until Ruby cut in front of her. "Calm down and listen." All eyes now on her, while Weiss silently "hmphed." "There is no sense delaying our actions any further." Despite the anxiety building up, Ruby ignored all the eyes on her and turned to the ruins. "Our objective is right in front of us."

Weiss then stepped in and cleared her throat. "As much as I'd… hate to say it, she's right." She ignored the urge to growl when seeing Ruby smirking. "Our orders were to retrieve a relic and retreat back to the academy. There's no sense in dilly-dallying with these Grimm."

"Run and live?!" Jaune asked happily, "That is an idea I can get behind!"

Weiss grunted in annoyance and turned around, "Well, come on then! Everyone grab a piece already!"

The others who did not have one all nodded and silently made their way to the remaining pieces. Yang laughed as she suddenly leaned on Weiss should causing the heiress to yelp. "Oh Ice Queen~, I think I like seeing you take charge! Makes our partnership a little more… intense~." She whispered in her ear.

Weiss shivered and without thinking attempted to shrug Yang away. "Will you get off me and just choose a relic already! You've already tested my patience, you blonde bimbo!"

Yang ignored the insults but complied at her request with a minor awe. She then ventured over to the golden pieces and walked passed a few several times with her hands behind her back. Weiss crossed her arms and tapped her shoe lightly as faint growls were heard from her lips.

Finally, Yang stopped over one and picked it up with a wide grin and raised it in the air for her partner to see. "Hey Weiss how about a-"

"Fine, anything, just bring the stupid piece and get over here already! I will not fail this test because of you!" Yang awed again but obeyed as she petted her chest piece, muttering that the ice queen didn't mean to call it stupid.

Ruby shook her head and glanced at the others. Nora and Neo already collected their piece, and twins had picked one up a few seconds ago. Jaune and Pyrrha were left as they chatted over one before picking it up, smiling.

Ruby nodded, all pairs had their pieces and it was officially time to leave the Emerald forest. "Everyone ready set?" Ruby asked, none opposed. "Good, follow me!"

She took the lead, motioning for the others. Ren was already next to her with Blake and Adam right behind. As the others quickly moved and followed. Yang was the only one to remain still, as her lips formed a soft grin.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, turning back to the blonde. Yang didn't answer, instead she watched as her sister jumped over a boulder with the others right behind her.

' _Mom… hope you watching this…'_ "Nothing Ice Queen," Yang sighed and tapped Weiss' nose, "Let's go Ice Queen."

Weiss was about to complain but stopped for a moment and sighed. Without a word, she followed behind Yang.

For several minutes, the group ran. Long gone was the old prison ruins, as they headed through the forest and out into a new open plan. Around them trees turned into more concrete pillars with more broken structures ahead.

"We must be in the main city of the ancient tribe!" Adam shouted.

Ren glanced at all the piles of rubble and decay and shook his head. "Not much of a city anymore!"

"Doesn't matter, we just have to keep moving!" responded Ruby.

Blake's ears suddenly perked as she detected something behind them. "Heads up!" She shouted. It wasn't long before the sky shadowed the ground as the Nevermore came into view. It thrusted its wings harder sending large gusts at the hunters in training before flying passed them.

"Split up!" Ruby ordered among the heavy winds. "Get behind the pillars now!" The group wasted no time in doing so as each pair split off into their own direction towards a pillar. The gusts were strong as each nearly fell and stumbled to get behind cover.

And when they did, all weapons were drawn with everyone on high alert. And as the winds finally died down, the Nevermore landed, perching itself on a tall stone tower in front of them; specifically blocking the way they needed cross.

When the wind finally died off, the Nevermore screeched into the sky, echoing for miles as it spread its wings wide open waiting for the children to make a move.

"Well that's great!" Yang chided, lowering her hands from her ears. "What now?! Go back another way!"

"Not possible!" Adam objected. "Look!"

From out where they came, the Death Stalker burst through the trees behind, destroying them into pieces, roaring with new found strength. Its hind legs regenerated back with the small stabs now gone from its back. The giant scorpion was back to full strength, ready to unleash the rage it collected from the teens that caused it pain.

"Were surrounded on both sides!" shouted Blake, "What now!"

"Isn't it obvious you dunce!" Weiss shouted, "We have to go through the forest! Those things are too big to follow!"

Blake silently growled at the insult and turned to the forest. She narrowed her eyes at what she saw and gripped her weapons tightly. "That's not possible either!"

From the forest, both sides in fact, dozens of Beowolves came prowling out, howling and roaring in the rally as they slowly descended out the trees.

"Damn it!" Yang shouted, her eyes now turning red. "Now we're completely surrounded!"

"Prepare to defend yourselves!" Adam shouted and stood defensively in the direction of the Beowolves.

"Oh yeah! Time to bring the pain!" Nora cried happily as she activated her hammer. Neo nodded as she rested her umbrella over her shoulder.

"Huh, you brought an umbrella?!" Nora asked. Neo turned to her partner and only replied with a wink.

"You with me sis?!" Melanie asked as she faced one end of the forest. Militia stood behind her facing the other and sharpened her talons together. "Always!" she replied.

"Ruby," Ren called as he cocked his weapons. "Let's stay together, alright?"

The red hooded girl did not answer. She looked all around to see the various Grimm closing in. The Death Stalker to the south of them, Beowolves to the east and west, and the Alpha Nevermore to the north. Ruby sighed. An Alpha Grimm was truly a worthy foe. _'Dangerous and Intelligent.'_ It had managed to bring different species of Grimm together, surround them, exhaust them, and possibly overwhelm them right now.

This was something Ruby had never witnessed with an Alpha. The Alpha Beowolf she faced a while back used superior numbers and brute force to try and overwhelm in hopes of tiring her out. But when she took care of the Alpha the rest-. And then it hit her. Her eyes widened as realization struck her.

Quickly thinking, her mind was already forming the plan. She glanced at each of the others, then her surroundings, and finally, the Nevermore. Her plan was set, all she needed now was to rally the pieces.

"Ren!" Ruby called, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. The long-haired boy was caught off guard by the sudden action, but seeing the strange look on his partner's face drew more curiosity than confusion.

"Yes Ruby?"

"I have a plan." She replied. "But… I…" The words dragged and faded from her lips. Ren leaned a little closer.

"I'm sorry?"

"I need your help!" She blurted out. "Please…"

Ren raised an eyebrow as Ruby turned away, too embarrassed to look at him. She didn't see that followed by the raised eyebrow, he smiled. "You have it. How can I aid you?"

Ruby turned back to him, silently relieved as she regained her composure and got serious. "It's clear that the Alpha Nevermore is the brains behind the rest. The other Grimm are simply the muscle."

Ren nodded when thinking about it. The Grimm certainly wouldn't have gotten this far without the Alpha. "So, what do you suggest?"

"Simple." Ruby smirked. "We sever the brain from the muscle." Ren looked slightly bewildered.

"You mean try and kill the Alpha Nevermore?"

"Correct."

The long-haired boy pondered the thought then sighed. "It won't be easy." Ruby agreed, but it was still possible.

"This is a game of chess, Ren." She explained, "The Alpha could have long since killed us. Instead, I realize now that it's been testing our limits, gathering its pieces and now making its next move."

Ren thought about it and it seemed to make sense. "Then what do we do?"

Ruby twirled her scythe and glanced at the Nevermore. "We play it's game and win!" she declared. "I refuse to die now, not when I'm so close!" She turned to Ren and smirked. "The Nevermore has its pieces, and we have ours."

Ren sighed again as he shook his head with a smile. "I'm still apprehensive about this. But I'm willing to follow."

Ruby nodded and turned to the others still behind their pillars. "Everyone get ready to push forward!"

"Are you nuts?!" Weiss yelled back. "You want us to go straight to the Nevermore?!"

"In the words of my Uncle, _"If you want to stop an army, stop the general!"_ "

Weiss shook her head as she stared at the Nevermore still perched on the tower. She gritted her teeth. "Whatever you're planning, forget it! We can't go against an Alpha, it's too dangerous you dunce!" Weiss argued.

"I have a plan Ice Queen!"

"Yeah?! A plan to get us all killed?!"

"Just trust her Weiss!" Ren exclaimed. "We have a plan!"

' _We?!'_ Weiss thought as she stumbled over her words. Seeing Ruby smiling towards Ren caused her cheeks to redden as her blood boiled. She cursed Ruby for putting her in an awkward position.

"If my baby sister and hot stuff have a plan, then I'm in!" Yang announced as she raised a fist in the air."

"Renny's always the man with the plan!" Nora declared, "I'm in too!" Neo nodded in agreement.

"I'm with you too Ren!" Melanie called while waving to the long-haired boy. Militia shook her head but smiled and agreed as well.

Blake glanced to Adam who nodded to her as she turned to Ruby and Ren. "We'll follow what you have."

"Better that staying here to die." Muttered Adam.

"We'll help anyway we can too!" Pyrrha stated. Jaune nodded in agreement despite the quivering lips and shaky legs.

Weiss growled in frustration. Her fists tightened as she fumbled her words. Not only was she the only one who disagreed with the plan, but now she looked like an asshole to Ren. REN of all people! She glared at Ruby; once again the girl had made her look like a fool, made her blood boil, and made her heart race.

' _Stupid girl with her stupid remarks, and stupid attitude! And her stupid mysterious eyes… and stupid luscious hair… and stupid soft lip- wait what the hell am I thinking! Damn that stupid girl!'_

She growled again and gripped her rapier. "Fine, I'll follow your plan! But just know that I'm only trusting Ren, not you!"

"You act like I care Ice Queen!"

Weiss gritted her teeth. _'The nerve of that girl!'_ she thought as a shiver crawled down her spine. _'How dare she treat me like dirt, and call me names, and… makes me tingle all over… I don't find it stimulating at all!'_ Weiss sighed heavily as she fell to the floor, her forehead was sweat and face flushed red.

"Yo Weiss are you ok girl?" Yang asked, bending down. "You look like you just climaxed five times in a row!" she grinned.

"Shut up bimbo!"

"Look out their charging!" Adam alarmed. It was true, the Nevermore grew tired of waiting and let out another screech, no sooner had the Beowolves and Death Stalker roared back as they rushed towards the teens.

"Move!" Ruby ordered. The others did, following her forward towards the stone bridge as the Grimm made their chase. The Nevermore shook its massive head as it slowly began to ascend into flight.

"Nora," Ren called. "Distract it!"

"Aye aye!"

When the massive raven flew higher, it screeched as it summoned a barrage of feathers down towards the group. "Move through the sides!" Ruby called as she and the rest took cover behind the pillars again.

Nora diverted from the pillars and ran to the middle of the field jumping and roll dodging several feathers flying passed her. Instead of hitting the ground, some hit several Beowolves behind her killing them instantly.

Ruby turned back to see the bubbly girl laughing the whole time as she retracted her hammer into its collapsible gun form. She fired several shots of large cylinder rounds towards the Nevermore where one exploded on impact on its neck. The Grimm recoiled back, screeching in pain, as flew away with the rest of the rounds exploding near its body before it quickly escaped.

"That's right! Don't mess with the best!" Nora cheered but stopped when she heard roaring. The Death Stalker and two Beowolves took the opportunity to ambush the orange haired girl while she had her back turned.

Thankfully, before they could touch her, Neo emerged from behind her and stabbed one of the Beowolves in the chest with her umbrella. Ren and Blake also appeared and struck the Death Stalker near its eyes stunning it. The last Beowolf lunged towards Ren when his back was turned but before reaching him, dozens of sharp icicles plunged into its body.

"Are you alright Ren!" Weiss quickly asked and, without waiting for a reply, rushed to him feeling all over his chest and arms. While it may have been a minor excuse to cop a feel, Weiss ignored the blood rushing into her cheeks as she continued feeling.

It was only until Nora bear hugged heiress was she finally stopped. "Oh, thanks guys! I would have been Grimm bones if it wasn't for you!"

"Let go of me this instant!" Weiss screamed. _'How is this girl so strong!?'_

Ren rubbed the back of his head awkwardly until he heard the Death Stalker hissing. "Come on!" He called. "We have to keep moving!"

Nora giggled as she put Weiss down. "Coming Ren!" As she and Neo ran, Weiss took a few seconds to catch her breath. Blake glanced at her and shook her head, silently pleased with what she saw. _'I guess I can call that pay back.'_

"Come on," she grabbed Weiss' arm and pulled her up. "That thing isn't gonna be stunned forever." Before the heiress could retort, she was already moving with Blake dragging her.

When they made it back to the others, they could see they were already engaged with Beowolves that came around them. It was a massive battle with weapons twirling, metal clanking, and bullets firing. They wasted no time joining the fray as the battle grew more intense. And as they finally started clearing the pack of Grimm, it didn't take long before the Death Stalker closed in.

"Move across the bridge!" Ruby directed and was already on the move. The others followed quickly as the Scorpion Grimm gained.

"Go, go!" Pyrrha ordered as she kneeled and fired a few rounds at the Death Stalker. Everyone was almost across except for Weiss, Blake, and the twins. Ren suddenly stopped and turned back, firing alongside Pyrrha to help the others across.

The twins made it to the bridge with Weiss following close behind. Blake was the only one left now and the Death Stalker increased its speed as it started snapping its pincers at her. She was nearing the bridge now and, to the surprise of Pyrrha and Ren, the Death Stalker actually jumped into air to try to and land on top of her.

"Blake jump!" Ren screamed.

She did, nearly avoiding one of the Grimm's pincers. When she landed, Pyrrha and Ren turned and ran with Blake right behind them. The Death Stalker could only watch as its prey escaped through the narrow stone bridge. It shrieked with rage swiping the air at losing its chance to eat. Though its battle was over, the Beowolves did not give up. From the several that survived the battle, they jumped over the Scorpion Grimm in hot pursuit as the group kept running.

The teens never stopped running, they could hear the howls and roaring behind them. They were almost midway before the circular tower in the middle of the bottomless valley. But just when the group neared the center, the Nevermore returned. They barely saw its approach when it screeched loudly to notify its return.

All Ruby could see when she turned right was the massive Alpha staring right at her when its body whammed into the stone bridge. After that, blackness. Pieces and chunks collapsed and scattered in different directions before falling into the mist covered pit.

When Ruby opened her eyes, she realized she was still alive. She stood up and turned to see the massive gap the Grimm had left behind from its impact. She also cursed when she saw that more than half of the group had been cut off on the other side.

' _It struck right in between us.'_ On her side, Jaune, Nora, Adam, Ren and herself were near the tower. But on the other, lay everyone else trapped with the Beowolves and Death Stalker.

' _This isn't good.'_ Ruby then heard the screech again. She caught sight of the Nevermore swooping over them, blasting a gust of wind around them as it then zipped past. She nearly lost her balance had she not slammed her scythe into the stone. She gritted her teeth and fired several shots at the departing Nevermore. If she did not think of something soon, then more than half of the group would be lost.

When Jaune came to, he slowly rose. His head ached a bit from hitting the stone bridge. He glanced around to see a few of the others firing into the sky. His eyes suddenly widened when he remembered what happened. They were running, then the Nevermore appeared and suddenly hit them and then the bridge…

"The bridge!" he exclaimed and turned around. His heart sank when he saw a large gap replace the once stone bridge. But his heart sank even lower when he saw more than half of the others were on the other side fighting. He was relieved to see no one had fallen but seeing them cut off and surrounded didn't help make him feel better.

Blake, Neo, Weiss, and Yang...

From the look of the separation, they were scattered in multiple directions. The only ones still on the remaining bridge were Pyrrha and the twins Melanie, and Militia fighting a group of Beowolves trying to overwhelm them.

Just behind them Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Neo were sent farther back on the mainland where the Death Stalker was already happily confronting them. Jaune watched helplessly as Pyrrha fought two Beowolves at once. The twins were back to back but losing ground to fight quickly.

' _Why…'_ His thoughts suddenly went back to the cave. None of this would have happened if he had listened to Pyrrha. Now she and the others were paying for his mistakes. The blond boy tightened his fist and slammed it into the stone below him.

"Why can't I be stronger!" He whispered, then rose his head up. "We got to get over there! They need help!" he cried.

"Then let's do this!"

Jaune flinched when Nora appeared from behind scaring the tar out of him. Without his realization, his hands popped out of the impressive hole his knuckles left behind.

When he glanced at her, to his surprise, she was no longer smiling. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips were tight and eyes focused. Jaune never knew someone so cheeky could get serious before and he stuttered when seeing her weapon raised.

"Y-yeah, but… uh…" He turned around to see the long way down in the misty pit. "I-I can't make that jump."

Nora glanced back at him with a raised eyebrow and then smirked as she used the side of her weapon to knock him down. She then switched her weapon to hammer mode and took a big leap into the air happily slamming down it down while firing an explosive round into the stone. The impact cracked and flipped a small piece of the bridge over sending Jaune flailing over the large gap, screaming, as Nora fired another round sending her over as well.

While Jaune landed near the edge, Nora actually flew over the Beowolf battle right towards the Death Stalker on the mainland. "I'M COMING NEO!"

' _That's what she said!'_ Thought the multi colored girl as she turned and cheered when Nora slammed her hammer on the Death Stalkers head, sending it onto the ground.

The scorpion Grimm roared as it retaliated with its stinger thrusting down at Nora when she landed. There was a minor panic in her eyes, but she quickly blocked the attack with her hammer. The impact, however, was too strong as it knocked her back fast right into Blake who was re-loading her weapon. The two made hard contact as Blake grunted while her body was sent falling into the pit.

"Sorry!" yelled Nora as she turned back to the Death Stalker.

Blake rolled her eyes as she silently free fell. She remained calm and looked around to see the Nevermore returning with explosions firing around its body. An idea came to mind as she twirled her body and fired her weapon towards one of the stone pillars. From there she grabbed the end of her black ribbon tightly and swung under two sets of pillar before flying upwards near the Nevermore.

Focusing her semblance, Blake used the extra boost to release her weapon back into her hand and strike the raven Grimm several times in the head before summoning another clone to land on top of it. From there Blake ran across its monstrous body slicing its back with both weapons before jumping off landing on top of the central tower next to Ruby, Adam and Ren.

"Glad to see your still with us." Adam smirked. As his sister rolled her eyes.

"It's tougher than it looks!"

"Then let's hit it with everything we have!" Ruby suggested as the four waited for the Nevermore to circle back.

When it did, they all reloaded and switched their weapons to gun form and fired a barrage of bullets holding nothing back. Despite using explosive rounds, the Nevermore continued to charge and, like with the bridge, slammed its body into the central tower.

"Brace yourselves!" Adam shouted, and the structure erupted into hundreds of chunks and pieces. The platform the four were on didn't break right away which aided them in running up and jumping onto different debrief, parkouring their way back up onto the remaining stable grounds.

Each went up their own way with Adam jumping from chunk after chunk of stone while slicing a few out of his way. Ruby used her scythe to boost herself up onto pieces too far to reach, while Blake and Ren made their way near the same pillar. The bow wearing girl wasted no time in running up the column and using her elastic ribbon to pull herself up while Ren stabbed his weapons into the stone steadying himself first, before running up behind her.

When the four made it back up, Blake and Ren landed on a different bridge opposite to Adam and Ruby.

Adam glanced around and spotted the Nevermore still flying around barely showing any damage. He sneered at the Grimm. "Nothing is working and this Alpha is being annoying."

Ruby couldn't help but agree. She was beginning to feel frustrated with the Nevermore's resilience. _'If we can just keep it contained…'_ It was then that she spotted Blake landing and retracting her ribbon. _'That's it.'_

"I have a new plan!" Ruby proclaimed. "Get Blake and Ren and meet me by the other land!" Without another word, Ruby sped off leaving Adam to stare at her departing figure. With a nod, he ran the other way towards the others.

While the four black clad teens dealt with the Alpha, the others continued holding their own. Melanie and Militia continued fighting together progressively. When one attacked, the other defended, countered and repeated. Pyrrha and Jaune worked together as well. With an interesting coordination, Jaune would absorb the damage with his shield and the Amazonian would finish off the Beowolf. By working together, the last remaining Beowolves were nearly wiped out as they either met their end by a blade or kicked off the bridge. Literally.

Unfortunately, the stability of the bridge was faltering from the only pillar supporting it. And the heavy fighting wasn't helping. Neither did Weiss, Yang, Neo, and Nora landing on the bridge after being pushed back by the Death Stalker. And when the Scorpion Grimm thrusted its stinger to the edge of the stone, the bridge's fate was sealed.

"Why did we fall back to the bridge that's about to collapse?!" Screamed Weiss as she turned to the blonde.

Yang shrugged as she cocked her gauntlets. "Don't look at me! I was following you!"

The bridge rumbled and Militia groaned in irritation. "Great! Thanks to that yellow cow, this bridge is too heavy!"

Yang suddenly froze with a twitch in her eye and turned back to face the red wearing twin, looking her dead in the eye. "Excuse you?!"

Jaune worriedly looked below at the rumbling stone. "Um… guys!"

Militia snorted as she crossed her arms. "You heard me! Those weights on your chest are gonna bring the bridge down!"

"At least I have weights to fill up my chest." Yang spat, then gave a sly smirk. "Unlike some people."

"Um guys!"

This caused a vein to pop out of Militia's forehead. Melanie sighed as she shook her head. "Oh boy, here we go."

"Oooo I smell a catfight! Meow!" Nora giggled.

"You wanna run that by again bitch!" Militia screamed. Unfortunately for Yang, Weiss and Neo stood next to Militia as they glared daggers at the blonde.

"Yes, bimbo say it again!" Weiss dared. Neo nodded as she gripped her umbrella.

"GUYS!" Jaune finally screamed, ceasing the arguing and having all eyes on him. He gulped and frantically pointed down. "The bridge is about to fall!"

To his relief, Pyrrha cut in as well. "He's right! We have to move!"

Yang and Militia, along with Melanie, turned to one another and begrudgingly nodded. "To be continued."

"Yeah."

"Let's go!" Pyrrha shouted and the group ran together towards the Death Stalker. The Grimm screeched, relishing the challenge as it launched one of its pincers down towards them.

Pyrrha jumped and blocked it with her shield as she twirled and slashed the side of the Grimm's face. The Death Stalker recoiled and sent its other pincer only to be blocked this time by Jaune as Neo jumped over him and kicked the claw away.

With both pincers pushed back, Yang took the opening and ran directly at it. Seeing the possible threat, the Death Stalker thrusted its stinger down at her. It missed, and Yang grabbed onto the tip as the Grimm recoiled its tail.

"I'm all for riding a big one! But not yours you oversized freak! Take this!" Heavily impacting, Yang sent several jabs at the connecting joint of its tail and stinger.

The explosive rounds burned its flesh as it roared and tried to get her off. Eventually it was successful and flung her away into a rock wall. But it was already too late for its tail, the damage was done. It's stinger barely connected now as it dangled in all directions. The beast cried out in pain and anger.

Jaune noted this and pointed to its tail. "Pyrrha, the stinger!"

The Amazonian saw what he pointed towards and flung her shield directly in-between the tail releasing the stinger from its grasp and collapsing into the Death Stalkers back. The Grimm hissed faintly now as it tried to lunge forward.

"Stand back!" Weiss ordered, summoning a large icicle and launching it with her rapier. The sharp object impacted directly into one of the Grimm's larger eyes causing it to stagger.

Jaune watched it and then got an idea. "Melanie, Militia!" he called back, earning the twin's attention. "Get behind it! Go for its hind legs!"

The twins were hesitant but reluctantly nodded and dashed forward with Jaune and Pyrrha ahead of them. Despite the loss of balance, the Grimm still attempted to swipe at them with its pincers again. But like before, Pyrrha and Jaune blocked them with their shields, allowing the twins to jump over the scorpion and simultaneously slash its hind legs in half. The beast fell.

Finally seeing it in its fragile state. Weiss nodded and turned to the orange haired girl. "Nora, finish it!"

The bubbly girl nodded, twirling her hammer. "Heads up!" She jumped. and on que, Pyrrha readied her shield for her to land. When she did, Nora was launched into the air with help from her hammer. She let out a small giggle as she fired her weapon again, sending her back to the ground with great velocity.

She twirled several times to gain momentum and when she neared the Death Stalker, she slammed her hammer with such forced the ground shattered beneath it. Unfortunately, the bridge finally gave up and broke down; though it successfully launched Pyrrha, Weiss, Neo and Jaune in in the process towards the mainland before doing so.

As for the Grimm, its fate was sealed as it let out one final hissing shriek when it's body fell into the bottomless misty pit. They had succeeded, the Beowolves, the Death Stalker all defeated.

As the group gathered and stood up, they all nodded to one another proud of what they done.

"Well… that was a thing." Yang muttered with a cheeky grin.

Weiss shook her head and was about to make an insult until explosions cut her off. They then remembered the Nevermore still in the fight and turned to witness its battle with the other four.

Yang watched with minor worry for her sister but then got an idea and quickly reached for her scroll.

"Alright does everyone understand?" Ruby asked, shifting her sights to the other three. No one objected. "Good, let's go."

Like she planned, they scattered in their own directions. Adam was up first and quickly made his way towards the highest pillar he could find. He unsheathed his sword and reloaded his weapon with a new all black clip he reserved. "Alright, let's see if it works."

When the Nevermore approached, Adam aimed his gun and fired several shots near the Grimm's face. The rounds surprised him as they felt stronger with a harder recoil but the damage was amazing. The rounds exploded more so than Nora's grenades and emitted a blacker smoke when in contact.

The Nevermore screeched as it circled around with him in its sight. "That's right focus on me." When the Grimm now charged its beak opened wide to try and swallow him.

Adam could see its long grotesque tongue and uvula and grimaced. He then shrugged as he waited for the right opportunity to jump when its mouth was wide enough and landed inside. Before it could close its mouth, Adam crouched and used his sword as a support beam where its upper beak jabbed down into the sharp end causing the Nevermore to screech in pain.

"Alright birdy." Adam began, "Eat this!" He fired several shots more, this time into is throat watching explosions and ruptures inside its mouth implode. He quickly turned and smirked. "Later!"

He quickly punched the upper beak, releasing his blade and back flipped out of its mouth and onto a stone bridge near two pillars where Ren and Blake were. They watched as the tumbled Alpha crashed into the large cliffside causing chunks of rocks to spurt out. It crashed onto the ground, moaning a little as black smoke emitted from its mouth.

As it tried to get up, Adam turned to his sister and Ren. "You guys are up." He extended his hand to them, offering two clips of the same all black ones he used himself. "You ready?"

They both nodded, each taking one of the clips, and reloaded their weapons. Within seconds the two sped off towards the Nevermore and made it just before it reached flight. They jumped and fired several shots near it's feet and tail, suddenly encasing it in blocks of ice. As hard as the Nevermore tried, it could not break the grip the ice had and screeched with irritation.

Satisfied with their work, Ren and Blake jumped and hurried back to the pillars where Ruby and Adam were already in position. They each split up and ran up their own pillar towards the top where they steadied themselves. Blake then turned to Ren and fired her weapon towards him while gripping the ribbon. Ren saw the incoming weapon and quickly grabbed it and held it steady as the elastic extended tightly across the pillar, connecting them.

It was just in time too as the Nevermore was pecking at the ice to try and free itself.

Ruby smirked and quickly got into her position. Aiming carefully, she ran and fired her weapon once, riding it backwards and using the speed to push her weapon onto the elastic stretching it downwards towards the ground. Before she flew off, Adam was already there and grabbed both the elastic and her weapon insuring, they didn't release.

Ruby knew it wouldn't last long. Which is why right after he grabbed her, Ren extended his hand out towards them where Ruby, her weapon and the elastic radiated pink aura around them which secured them from flying off.

"It's impressive… that you… came up with this… Little Red." Despite impressed with how he held her in place, Ruby could hear the struggle in his voice and smirked. "We only have one shot at this. Think you can keep me from flying over the cliff?"

She could hear him let out a gruff chuckle. "To ensure that won't happen, take this." Ruby turned and saw an all-black vile it with black dust. She raised an eyebrow at the little thing and glanced back to Adam. "Trust me… it'll help."

Ruby nodded as she heard the Nevermore screech again, it was nearly free. Quickly, Ruby released her clip and sprinkled a little onto her bullets before sealing it back up. "Thank you."

Adam nodded and turned back to the cliff. "Look sharp! Its free!" Ruby turned back and narrowed her eyes.

"Release!"

Ren and Adam did so as the pink aura faded and Adam released his hands. Within seconds, Ruby flew towards the Nevermore with blinding speed that matched her semblance. She fired a few shots to increase her velocity and was surprised with the increase in kick her bullets did. _'What kind of black dust is that?!'_

Saving the thought for another time, Ruby quickly aimed herself towards the Nevermore's neck as it tried to maintain its altitude. Right when it was about to fly off, Ruby successfully pushed the blade of her scythe into its neck, carrying the massive body with her towards the cliff. Like before, the Grimm crashed into the wall again as its tongue flailed out of its mouth.

It started roaring as Ruby activated her semblance. Her eyes shut for a second then reopened to be all black. With a smirk, she sped up, dragging the Alpha with her as she continued to fire her rifle to help her speed. Ren, Blake, and Adam, and the others all watched as she hauled its massive body up the cliff creating a clean drag streak all the way up.

She was almost near the end of the cliff now when the Nevermore struggled to break free. It made dragging it difficult as Ruby started yelling. Both struggled, not wanting to lose. But with intense motivation and desire for victory, Ruby pushed through using the last of her bullets to keep her going. Her muscles ached, and her feet burned but she endured and continued. When she finally reached the end the Nevermore's body stopped on the rocky edge as Ruby's body flew up.

She turned to the Alpha for the first time, looking dead in its eye and for moment, she thought the Nevermore was looking right back at her. Her scythe still gripped its neck as she smirked.

" **Checkmate!"** She growled and pull the trigger one last time. In a flash, her scythe sliced through the Grimm's neck launching it up and onto the cliff itself as its headless body slowly descended back down the cliffside. Ruby twirled for a second and landed onto the ground with closed eyes. When she opened them, they returned to normal as she breathed a sigh of relief and turned around.

Aside from the Grimm, Ruby admired the view below her. The scene did look beautiful; the ruins, the forest, everything. She allowed herself to smile as she glanced down at the others below. Roses emitted around her as her cape flapped with the wind. She nodded down to them and they nodded back.

"Oh my god, did you guys see my baby sister out there!" Yang exclaimed as she bounced up and down. "I'm soooo proud of her! I told you all she was the bee's knees!"

"That was very impressive of her." Pyrrha admitted with a friendly smile.

"That was just… wow." Jaune awed as Neo nodded.

"Anyone who can behead a Grimm is awesome in my book!" Nora cheered.

"That was kinda cool." Melanie muttered. Her sister shrugged but nodded in agreement.

Weiss didn't say anything. She simply stared up at Ruby with tightened fists. The red hooded girl somehow made a daring plan to engage the Nevermore then made up another drastic plan to kill it and somehow, they all came out unscathed with success.

' _That show off… no good…'_ She narrowed her eyes and couldn't stop staring at her. Her hair flowing in the wind, her strong figure posing beautifully with her cape flowing freely. _'valiant… sexy~… girl.'_ Weiss' cheeks reddened. "She did alright…" She admitted and turned away.

"And I got it all on video!" Yang cheered. "Oh man, I can't wait to add this on ViewTube!"

As the group relished in their minor victory and success, off in the distance they were unaware of another group watching the whole time.

"Oh very cool." Muttered one as she stared at her scroll's video. She smirked as she watched the entire fight that just happened again.

"Are you done yet?" another person asked.

"Just making sure I got everything I need."

A third person sighed as she shook her head. "Is there any reason why you've been crushing on those guys? You've been stalking them all day yesterday and now you're recording them? That's just plain creepy.

"Hey I'm not… crushing on them! I just… find them interesting. And how could you not after seeing that?!"

"They are good, I'll give them that."

"Hmph… they're ok. But we could have done better."

"Now, now." A fourth person spoke up. "It doesn't matter who's better. We are all trying to work hard to become hunters no? So, we should commend our comrades for their victory."

"Yeah, your right. Oh! You still have our pieces, right?"

"Yes, I have them both right here. But… why do I have to carry them?"

"Cause you're dependable!"

"Aw…"

"Alright that's enough, let's get back to the academy."

"Roger that!"

"Alright."

"Whatever."

As time passed, and the morning shifted close to noon. Students from all over the forest began returning to the Academy. Some successful, others not. As for Ruby and the group, they managed to return with little trouble since the Nevermore. And before they knew it, the ceremony began.

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark."

One by one, the four boys walked in single file onto the stage as the student body applauded. Cardin smirked the whole way while a short mohawked boy, Sky his new partner, waved to the crowds. Dove and Russell, the two others with Cardin, cared less about the audience and instead shoved one another laughing as they neared the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch.

When they settled down and stood at attention, Professor Ozpin nodded to Goodwitch who started typing away on her digital pad.

"The four of you have retrieved the Black Bishop pieces." The Headmaster announced. "As such, from this day forward, you will work together as… Team CRDL."

A large screen turned on above the stage and showed four individual pictures of team CRDL falling into a lined order with their team name presented below.

"Led by… Cardin Winchester."

Cardin chuckled to himself. "Was there ever any doubt?" he asked to which neither professor answered. Shrugging, he walked off the stage with his new teammates following behind.

The headmaster noted the Winchester boy's behavior, but kept his thoughts to himself as he called for the next team to step up.

To say Cardin felt satisfied with himself was an understatement. Half of his classmates failed the exam, but he didn't. Of course, he didn't and he was proud of that. He knew he would pass by any means necessary and he meant it; by any means necessary.

Though he had to admit, it was impressive how quickly the group he and his boys ran into got their chess pieces, not to mention extremely lucky. Regretfully from them, their fighting wasn't all that impressive. It wasn't his fault they lost. If they wanted to keep those pieces they should have fought harder. And to be fair it was not against the rules. The headmaster did say to destroy everything in their path, no hard feelings.

In retrospect, Cardin believed he did them a favor. _'They weren't going to make it far anyways',_ he thought, _'not with how they fought'_. Cardin chuckled again. He couldn't wait to tell his old man how he put losers in their place. He would be so proud.

Speaking of losers, Cardin glanced at the other first years he passed. He could see excited faces on some of them waiting in line for their turn on stage. He sneered at them all.

' _Weaklings.'_ Boring, pathetic, and worthless weaklings. He was sure more than half of them just picked their piece and ran like spineless cowards. Every guy was like a twig compared to him. Even the girls, or _"babes"_ as he called them, were not worth his time or effort. They were all too… average for his tastes. But as Cardin neared the end of the line, he stopped and stared at a few faces, attractive faces.

Like Weiss Schnee, the so called "heiress" of the Schnee Dust Company. While easy on the eyes, Cardin frowned at her lack of chest and rear areas. But that was tolerable since she was filthy rich and made up for it.

Then he noticed Pyrrha Nikos, the Amazonian celebrity fighter. Another rich girl with looks but unlike the heiress, she had some plump in all the right areas. He whistled as he peeked at the armor she wore. They left nothing to the imagination and he wasn't complaining. He even wondered if the carpets matched the drapes.

But what really captured his interest were two girls standing near the very end of the line, both with bodies of a model. One had wild, blonde hair with a chest that could make a goddess jealous. The other was a brunette with a bow on her head with nice, long legs and thighs that looked grip worthy, and her chest is almost as big as the blonde's. He didn't know their names but he was going to rectify that. Girls like them needed a man who can satisfy them; make them beg and crave to be touched. A man with big strong arms to satisfy their desires. Cardin grinned. He was the right man for the job.

But there was something about the brunette that made him want her more. While the blonde's big boobs were great and all for a one night adventure, the brunette was more beautiful with a nicer figure compared to the other 3 girls. His old man did say, _"the dark chicks know how to get freaky and can satisfy a lifetime."_ And from how quiet and distant she looked Cardin could only imagine what kind of things she could do. It is always the quiet ones, right?

He licked his lips and chuckled. The perverse fantasies filled his mind as he eyed the girls once more taking in their physique and beauty. Four babes in total… all for him. _'I guess I'll have some fun here after…wait,'_ Cardin narrowed his eyes.' _What the hell…'_

His eyes suddenly bulged in dismay. How he didn't notice before, he did not know.

Standing next to Weiss, far too close for Cardin's liking, there was a longed haired boy with a pink strip in his bangs. Both were deep in a conversation that was out of his hearing. But from the smile on Weiss's face, the conversation must have been delectable.

Cardin felt his face redden. He glared daggers at both but it wasn't just Weiss. To his left, he could see Pyrrha holding the shoulder of a blond-haired boy chuckling, having a good time with that... runt.

As angry as it made him, possibly, the worst of it all was seeing both the blonde and brunette, he favored most, standing next to a tall scrub with black sunglasses and spiky red hair. A strong disliking already emerged from Cardin as he stared at him with malice. He must have thought he was a bad boy leaning on the wall acting aloof. Although he noticed the brunette and the guy trying to stay away from the blonde, both glaring at her annoyed but it didn't matter to him.

' _Why are babes hanging with… them?'_ he wondered with disgust. Confusion was one of the many conflictions in his head. _'A pretty boy… a runt… and some… wannabe tough guy.'_

Cardin then noticed Mr. Shades also had a pair of black horns almost blending into his hair. He sneered at them with repulsion in his eyes, like seeing someone eating vomit.

' _I stand corrected… a fucking animal…'_

There was no doubt in his mind; those three had to go, immediately and permanently. They stood in the way of his _"fun"_ with those girls. A crime that cannot go unpunished.

' _But who to start with?'_ He wondered. He took glances at each of them then finally stopped at the Faunus.

Was he really the bad boy he portrayed himself to be? Or was he just pretending and hoping no one would discover who he truly is, a weakling. Whether it was real or not didn't matter, he would find out. For now he would watch him; see how he acts, his behavior, and, hopefully, uncover some dirt.

Aside from the animal, the long haired pretty boy didn't look as challenging as him. He could walk up right now and get rid of him in one punch. But whenever a pretty boy emerges, women always flock to him. And with the heiress already seduced, he will have others. Beating him now will make him resented and his chances with any girl over. There was no choice. He would have to watch him for now, perhaps… embarrass him in public.

And then, there was the blond runt next to HIS redhead. Just by looking at the guy, Cardin could see he was no fighter, at all. Scraggly arms, clumsy feet, fragile looking, and baby faced, he was the spitting image of a weakling. Someone who doesn't belong.

' _How did he get into Beacon?'_ Cardin bitterly wondered. _'Let alone get himself with Nikos.'_ This angered him more.

No discipline, no coordination, or even confidence for that matter. And yet, he was admitted into one of the toughest schools for hunters, passed the initiation exam, and has even bagged himself a hot celebrity fighter clearly out of his league.

Cardin's face reddened. His fists balled tightly as his nails dug into his palms. The blond runt was clearly overstepping his place in the animal kingdom and it was wise not to mess with the food chain. He didn't come from any powerful family or wealth. He was a nobody and anyone can step on him like a twig.

Then Cardin smirked. _'Runts like him should know their place.'_

On that thought, it was decided. He found his first target. It was perfect really. The runt wasn't tough enough to defend himself or pretty boy level for girls to care about. Picking off the weakest would be the most logical thing to do. Predators did it, and so would he. A plan already formed in his head that he grinned sinisterly.

' _When I'm done with you. you'll never show your face again.'_.He glanced at the Faunus and long haired boy again. _'You… and those two.'_

Slowly, Cardin finally turned and walked out the auditorium where his teammates were waiting outside by the stairs. When he caught up to them, he could see their curious faces which amused him.

"Come on." He commanded, already walking ahead. "We have a lot to do this semester." He took a quick glance towards 1 of the girls, smirking, before leaving with his team.

Ruby, leaning on the wall, idly glanced around the auditorium as names were called and teams were formed. She barely acknowledged it all. Instead, she kept mainly in her own thoughts.

Thankfully after the battle, no other Grimm made any attempt to attack her and the others. Surprising enough, they were the last to complete the test, well under two hours. Aside from Schnee ranting and complaining about it, Ruby couldn't hold resentment. Like her, every student must have wanted to get the test over with. That was what she intended before being side-tracked.

' _Still'_ she thought, _'Perhaps they did not have to fight large hordes of Grimm. Oh well.'_

What good was thinking about it? In the end, they all passed and made it out alive. That was all that mattered.

Besides, being in the back of the line had its benefits. They didn't have to stand at attention nor stay in order of the line just yet. Ruby took advantage of this leeway by distancing herself from the others; to finally enjoy some peace and quiet, at least for the most part.

To her left, Yang could be heard bothering the siblings again with her usual teasing. She couldn't go for Ren since Weiss trapped him in conversation with her and the blonde did not want to be bombarded with verbal abuse; so that left only the siblings.

' _Apologies.'_ Ruby thought. Though it was better them than her.

Further up, the Malachite sisters were standing among themselves whispering and casting quick peeks at Ren and Adam that Ruby took note of. Nora and Neo were in front of the twins with Jaune and Pyrrha next to them, all engaged in a conversation that Ruby could not hear.

At the very least, things finally looked peaceful. But, unfortunately, it didn't last very long. Of course, Yang had to disrupt it.

She should have known better than to try and be bold with both siblings. Because of her actions, Blake reacted negatively, while Adam looked like he was starting to get pissed off. When Yang leaned a little too close, Blake threaten to cut her hair off if she didn't back off from them. Yang had a look of horror on her face when she heard that statement and took a step back, then Neo and Militia involved themselves out of thin air.

An exchange of words happened and after several threats of scissors and her hair, again, Yang reluctantly backed off further. However, matters didn't settle when Militia stated her talons were more effective which caused the blonde to further reverse cradling her hair like an infant.

It didn't end there. For Ren, with the absence of Neo, Nora wandered over and decided to jump on his back demanding to be carried. He fumbled a bit before complying and patting his childhood friend's head. Seeing Nora happily snuggle into the long-haired boy's back caused a reddening Weiss to scold the girl about mannerism, behavior, and maturity. Melanie involved herself as well and demanded the hyperactive girl to release him to no success. Ren could only stand there awkwardly as the three girls all argued while encircling him. He became a fish surrounded by sharks.

Ruby shook her head. If things were like this now, how would they be for the next few years she wondered.

She didn't finish that thought. Instead she noticed something. To her left she saw a tall, brown haired boy she vaguely remembered on the cliff. He was standing by the exit looking at the first years with a peculiar smile on his face. Ruby recognized it almost instantly, the same look her old bullies had. He didn't stand there for much longer, after a few seconds he turned and walked away.

' _Such arrogance.'_ Ruby thought. Her uncle had always warned her about overconfidence. How some have it and others don't. But for those who do, it always led to one thing.

' _His funeral.'_ She shrugged. It wasn't her problem.

Aside from that, Ruby did feel off by his demeanor. He wasn't like the other, more typical, egotistical fools she encountered. His smirked proved otherwise. It was something else, almost… dangerous, ominous even. She narrowed her eyes at the shadowed hallway he left threw. Her feelings were never wrong before.

' _Who is he?'_

As the minutes passed, the line began to shorten rapidly. The masses of sophomores, juniors, and seniors continued to applaud each newly formed team as Ozpin signaled for the next to come up.

The outbursts and ruckus from Yang and the others finally submerged when they neared the front and thankfully everyone got in their groups positions. Ruby didn't notice it before but the three higher grades had much less numbers then the freshmen.

She suddenly remembered her mother's class again. Only fifty became hunters and that's roughly how many seniors are present now. This morning there were more than five hundred freshmen, and now half are gone. She was aware of the difficulties to become a hunter, but Ruby couldn't help but wonder; how many will last until graduation, herself included.

"Would the next four please approach." Ozpin called and gestured for the next bunch. They did.

A group of four girls stepped, one by one, onto the stage one in single file. like CRDL, and stood at attention. Now closer to the stage, Ruby peaked a small glance which suddenly turned into a full stare. Out of the four, she recognized one, the girl who held the camera; the one who took her picture. Upon closer inspection of the girl, Ruby noticed the sheep horns sticking out on top of her head, she can see that she was a faunus, a sheep faunus.

' _So she made it after all.'_

"Artemis Evergreen, Naomi Morginstern, Ottavia Golding, and Ember Rhodes." Ozpin proclaimed. "The four of you retrieved the White Bishop pieces." Like CRDL, four images of the girls displayed on the screen. "From this day forward, you will work together as… Team AMOR led by... Artemis Evergreen."

Applause erupted again but one staff member in the back suddenly jumped from his chair with a banner reading 'Go Emi!' written on it as he cheered her name as well.

Ruby could see the new team leader from AMOR tremble and growing red as Ozpin shook her hand. Weirdly enough, the girl froze in place as two of her teammates dragged her away awkwardly.

Ruby shrugged as the new team walked off the stage. She took another glance at the girl with the camera.

' _Ember Rhodes'_. She will remember that name. Coincidentally, Ember happened to turn in the direction of Ruby allowing both girls to make eye contact for a brief moment.

Ember said nothing and instead offered a peace sign with a friendly grin. Ruby raised an eyebrow in response as the camera girl left.

Ruby shrugged and turned to see the next team already approaching on stage. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at two of them.

"Neopolitan, Weiss Schnee, Nora Valkyrie, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team WYVN (Wyvern)… led by…Weiss Schnee."

"As expected." Weiss declared as she held her head high with much confidence, Ruby grunted in annoyance as the heiress turned to her with the highest of smirks. Ruby glared at her as did Blake and Adam which made Weiss flinch a little before "hmphing" and turning back.

Yang and Nora were the loudest in celebration as they high fived and waved to the crowds. Of course, Yang enjoyed the attention and added more cheer with her winking and blowing kisses to the older boys which did not sit well with several girls.

Unbeknownst to her, Neo again cradled Nora protectively away as she glared at the blonde. She felt her cheeks redden with malice as Yang jumped up and down, reminding her of what she lacked in her chest area.

After a firm handshake from the Headmaster to Weiss, which made her blush, team WYVN left the stage.

Yang attempted to rush towards Ruby demanding a "victory hug" but, painfully, she was grateful that Weiss stopped her. Dragging her away by the arm, Schnee led her team to the auditorium seats but had to double back to stop Nora from jumping on Ren. With team WYVN now seated, all four felt momentary relief.

"Are we really going to have to deal with that this semester?" Adam asked, leaning on the wall. The frustration could be heard from his voice.

Blake slowly nodded with a frown. "Seems so unfortunately."

Her brother let out a deep, tired sigh. "Great." He muttered, and Ren nodded in agreement.

With WYVN out of the way, the four teens turned to the next group already on stage.

"Jaune Arc, Melanie Malachite, Militia Malachite, and Pyrrha Nikos. The four of you retrieved the Black Rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team PMMA (Puma)… led by… Pyrrha Nikos."

Applause again, and Ruby even clapped for a few seconds. She wasn't surprised in the slightest. The girl was a prodigy and those twins certainly knew how to use combination attacks well. But even so she had to admit, Jaune wasn't as useless as she thought he was. Despite being in separate battles, Ruby did overhear his quick thinking against the Death Stalker. It was impressive but he still had a long way to go.

' _Perhaps with a little discipline… he could have potential.'_ She then saw Pyrrha giving Jaune's shoulder a playful punch which accidentally sent him to the ground. A round of laughter erupted as Pyrrha helped him up smiling, muttering a _'I'm sorry'_ to him.

Ruby shook her head. _'Maybe… a lot of discipline.'_

As the student body ended their round of applause, team PMMA took their leave off the stage without further incident and sat a row behind team WYVN.

The Headmaster watched them leave then turned to what was left of the line. "Would the last group please come up." He requested.

And thus Ruby, Ren, Blake, and Adam approached, wordlessly, in single file.

As they did, there was silence and in the place of applause, whispers waved across the rows of students. Some were louder than others but Ruby could hear a variety of them. From several girls aweing over Ren and Adam, to the guys, even the girls, ogling and whistling about Blake. Of course, there were some for herself; some not so pleasant, but expected nonetheless.

"Isn't she that weirdo from the bathroom?"

"It's that freak from the airship."

"She's a student?! I thought she was a kid wandering around?"

"I can't believe that girl made it."

Ruby rolled her eyes. Nothing she hasn't heard before which made it easier to drown out the whispers as the Headmaster spoke.

"Blake Belladonna, Adam Taurus, Lie Ren, and Ruby Rose." He addressed, "The four of you retrieved the Black Knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team RBTR…"

Ruby nodded with pride swelling in her heart, it was finally complete. What should have taken years happened today. She was now an official student at Beacon. She allowed herself to smile a little as she thought about her mother. She would have been proud. ' _I did it mother… I'm one step closer… in following your path.'_

Though working in a team would take some getting used to, Ruby didn't mind. At the very least, she was with people she could work with. And now a student of Beacon, whatever happens next, she would tolerate it.

"Lead by… Ruby Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened. However, leading a team was a different story.

 **And thus the thirteenth chapter comes to an end. That was long! My Dark Readers, again I am sorry for my delay. It feels good to be back! The main story continues .**

 **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT :)**


	17. Chapter 14

A **uthor's Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the fourteenth chapter of "Derelicts in Black".**

 **Yes, I know… it took longer than I thought to post and I'm very, very, VERY sorry for that! BUT here is a long chapter to make up for it! (que cheer!)**

 **But first, I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have been so patiently waiting. I know I take a long time to post nowadays and I am sorry for that, believe me I don't like to leave you readers hanging, but I can't thank you all enough for still being here and reading my mediocre fanfic.**

 **Second, I would like to thank those, even if they couldn't stomach past the first chapter, who have given their free time to give this story a read!**

 **And third, a very special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, favorited and SHARED! You guys have been wonderful with spreading the word out on this story and I really can't thank you dark readers enough!**

 **Now that's enough of me rambling so please, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite, follow and share. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **P.S.: A special thanks to Seba4444 for becoming the 350** **th** **person to favorite this story**

 **(SERIOUS) P.S. Also I would like to take a serious moment to offer my respect and apologies to my Editor KittyKat-Belle for the loss of her uncle. My heart goes out to her and her family, I know they are going through a tough time with this and I wish her uncle a well rest in peace. If you would like to send your condolences please feel free to send her a message and wish her family well. (Please absolutely no trolls)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 14: Settling in

"What?"

Ruby was at a loss for words. She replayed the headmaster's words again, believing she heard wrong, praying to whatever deity that she was wrong.

She didn't and felt a tightness in her chest when Professor Ozpin, along with the entire class, stared at her. Her heart then skipped a beat. She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it. She was now a team leader.

The crowd's reaction differed from the usual uproar of applause. Some of the older students did clap, however very little, while a majority of the rest remained silent. A few even engaged in low whispers too quiet to hear.

Ruby now glanced around the auditorium, feeling the lights getting hotter on her skin as sweat threatened to break. It took every ounce of willpower to remain calm. But inside, she felt like screaming. She was screaming.

Her thoughts were blurred for a second. She had to collect herself, taking in several deep breathes slowly and inconspicuously. ' _Team leader… I…'_ Her thoughts clouded again as she quivered. _'I… I can't…'_

The notion of leading, the responsibility, the pressure, it was all unsettling, unnerving. She was already dubious in working with others to begin with. And when she read that grouping with others would play a significant role in the academy, she had no choice but to tolerate it.

' _But not leading…. I am not a leader.'_ With her decision set, Ruby quickly took a step forward towards the headmaster, determined to change his mind. Even if it meant having to argue, accept any punishment, she would do it. _'I can't be a leader. I refuse.'_ "Headmaster I-"

' _FLASH'_

A sudden, blinding, light cut off Ruby mid-sentence as she blinked a couple times to rid her of the colors in her eyes.

"YAY RUBY, WAY TO GO!" A voice cheered. The red hooded girl turned and gave a blunt stare at her older sister, the only one in the crowd, jumping up and down cheering. "THAT'S MY LITTLE SISTER! GO RUBY!"

As she continued to bounce, many students remained silent with confusion while some stare for the pure delight of watching Yang's bosoms jiggle. Suddenly the whispers from before returned, this time loud enough to be heard.

"That girl was really a student here?"

"How did she survive the exam?"

"It's that freak from this morning!"

"How old is she?"

"A kid as leader?"

"Did you see the video on her?"

"Yeah! She's the freak from the plane!"

"She's looks so… emo."

"Creepy too."

"No doubt cheated to get in."

Yang's smile dropped as did her cheering when hearing the whispers. Her hands lowered and started shaking as her eyes narrowed. The more she heard the whispers, the more her blood boiled. Heat swelled within her growing hotter as the insults towards her sister continued; insults she was far too familiar with in her adolescence.

The torment she caused to Ruby day and night every day; belittling, disrespecting, hurting, and antagonizing. She gritted her teeth at those memories, wishing hard for them to go away, to be forgotten but knowing they never will.

Outraged, at herself and her fellow classmates, she turned, eyes turning red, ready to shout until she heard a thunderous clapping next to her.

"WHOO! GO RUBY!"

Yang froze in place then saw that it was Nora. And behind her, Jaune stood up clapping alongside Pyrrha. Even the Malachite twins rose and clapped, though lighter than the others. Weiss remained seated with no readable expression as Neo waved a sign reading _"WAY TO GO!"_

A few other students applauded as well, this time with minor confidence. Even several professors gave a few claps as well including Professor Ozpin.

Looking around, Yang inhaled a few deep breaths and smiled. The anger she felt quickly faded as she joined Nora in cheering for her sister.

However, none were aware of Ruby's frowning. The anxiety within her still stirred as she missed her chance to resign herself thanks to her sister's antics. _'There is no choice. I must speak with the headmaster alone. It's the only…'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was Ren offering a smile.

"Congratulations Ruby." he said and his smile grew. "I know you will lead us well."

Ruby felt her stomach drop. She faked a small smile and nodded as she quickly turned back towards the crowd watching the applause. Her eyes couldn't take it anymore as soon as she saw more smiling faces looking right at her. She lowered her head, and her vision fell to the ground.

' _Uncle Qrow… master… what do I do?'_ As she continued to dwell, she was unaware of the Headmaster. He already noted her behavior but remained silent on it as he stepped towards the red hooded girl.

Noticing his presence, Ruby immediately glanced up and locked eyes with him trying so hard to not let the anxiety show on her face. Ozpin admired her tenacity and smiled but received no reaction. He felt a small tug in his chest when seeing that, a small… painful one.

' _She's just like…'_ He thought but erased the name from his head. _'No… best not to think about that… not right now.'_ "Miss Rose, you and your team may be seated now."

Ruby nearly interjected but shut her mouth and sighed. With no other choice, she nodded and silently made her way down the steps with her new official team following in step.

Ozpin glanced at the red hooded girl one last time before turning to Professor Goodwitch. She said nothing as she shook her head with a frown, going back to her tablet.

As the newly formed team RBTR stepped off stage, Ruby noticed the stares of several students which made her feel uneasy. They began to whisper again and she raised her hood to ignore them.

' _No matter where I go... this always happens.'_

Ren, Blake, and Adam all noted the stares as well and tried their best to ignore it. For Adam, it was easy as he cared very little. For Blake, she found it annoying, especially how various boys, and even a few girls, gawked at her. Ren felt the most uncomfortable out of the three; especially with several girls, including the Malachite sisters, giggling at him.

' _Are they making fun of me? Why would they laugh if I did nothing humorous? Do… do I look funny? Is it my hair? My eyes? Why are women complex…'_

As Ruby continued leading her new team, she caught a quick glance at her sister and the others. She rolled her eyes when seeing Yang gesturing, frantically, for her to sit with them. The blonde even waved towards Ren and Adam, offering them winks while patting her legs.

" _Best seat in the house boys!"_ She mouthed to them, which made them both shiver as Blake shook her head with a scoff.

Nora giggled at her partner and when seeing Ren, she waved to him so fast with glee, she nearly smacking Weiss' face if she hadn't backed up. This caused Neo to silently laugh as Ren sighed at his friend's antics. Still, he smiled politely and waved back causing her to grow red and silently squeal with delight.

Weiss growled silently at almost being hit, and for Nora getting attention from her _"prince"._

' _Two can play at this game you fiendish foe!'_ Sitting straight up, Weiss gave a polite smile as she, too, offered her own wave towards the long-haired boy. Unlike Nora's flailing, hers was in elegant fashion.

Unfortunately, Ren closed his eyes while rubbing his forehead at this time and didn't see her causing Weiss to feel dead inside for a split second.

She did, however, see Blake smirking at her which caused the heiress to grit her teeth. She turned away quickly with arms firmly crossed but accidentally locked eyes with Ruby for a second. Staring into those silver eyes caused a jump in Weiss' chest as she felt her cheeks grow red before averting her eyes with an angry scoff.

' _What's her problem now?'_ Ruby thought at the unexpected harshness of the ice queen. _'Then again, should I even be surprised.'_ She shook her head, no point in thinking about it, as she and her team passed Yang and the others.

Instead of taking the empty seats behind teams WYVN and PMMA, Ruby motioned for her team to continue towards the exit.

Yang turned and awed when seeing her sister, and the others, instead seat themselves in the very last row next to the door. She was about to jump out of her seat and join them if Weiss hadn't forced her to turn around as the headmaster cleared his throat loudly to gain everyone's attention.

He waited for a moment until silence came and when it did, he spoke. "As of today, you are all officially students of Beacon." Before he could continue, a wave of excited cheers erupted from the freshmen class.

However, it was only the freshman class. The older grades remained silent as they glanced at their underclassmen. Most were too busy hugging, cheering, and high fiving to see the worry, sympathy, and concerned expressions the older students bore for them. Those who didn't cheer were either smart not to, or just lucky when Professor Goodwitch took the mic stand.

"SILENCE DAMN IT!" She roared, and the echo replayed three full times before fading out.

Within seconds silence returned aside from the minor whimpering. Professor Goodwitch nodded in satisfaction and stepped back so Ozpin can take the mic once more.

"Thank you… Glynda." He said and nodded to his assistant. _'Though you may have over did it…'_ He thought, the ringing still in his ears

"As I was saying… you have all become students of Beacon, survived the mass expulsion that half your numbers, unfortunately, suffered; and will earn your spot as an official freshman today."

He could see several students perking up, the smiles, excitement, and eagerness all returned. It all made him grimace.

"However,…" His tone grew serious as his eyes narrowed. "That does not mean you are safe." A few smiles fell from that. "As I stated before: when I look amongst you, except for a select few, all I see is wasted potential and energy in need of purpose and direction."

This time, all smiles and excitement fell. "My students… you may have taken the first step; and in doing so you have opened several paths to follow. All I ask is that you take heed for there is no restarting your choices. Choose wisely, follow your instincts, and prove, not to us, but yourselves that you are worthy to be a hunter. For it is up to you, to see if you are worthy."

The words hit the freshmen class hard. No one spoke or uttered a sound. Some even felt a shiver run down their spine. In many of their young minds, the same question rose.

' _Am I worthy?'_

When Ozpin finished, he backed up and allowed Glynda to, once again, take the mic stand. "You are all free for the remainder of today. Lunch will be served momentarily in the dining hall if you are famished. As for dinner, an announcement will be made for the freshmen and sophomore classes at six this evening; juniors and seniors will be called the hour after."

She fixed her glasses as she glanced down at her tablet. She quickly typed a few keys and a new screen popped up. "For all incoming freshmen, it is to be advised that new team leaders are to report to the administration department to gather the following paperwork and key cards for their teams. As for returning students, your schedules have already been sent via scrolls and your new dormitory buildings are ready."

Professor Goodwitch then swiped her screen several times and fixed her glasses once more. "It is to be noted that all freshmen students must sign their paperwork and hand them in by nine this evening. Those who do not, will risk themselves and their team's immediate expulsion from the school." This caused a few widened eyes and gasps. "Also, classes will officially begin tomorrow morning at eight… sharp. I advise you all make preparations till then. Do NOT be late. Dismissed."

Within seconds, the freshmen students all began rising, row by row, and began taking their leave towards the exit. Chatter and whispers once again filled the walls as they all poured out from the doors.

The speech affected many freshmen differently. Some remained quiet, pondering the words of the headmaster carefully. Others felt concerned by what was to come. But most seemed least affected by any of it and resumed their cheerful conversations; complaining about getting their school supplies, long lectures, early mornings, and even daring to guess which body part Professor Goodwitch washed first.

Despite all the reactions, there were two things that did worry them all; one, don't be late in handing in their paperwork. And two, don't be late in general.

With most of the students gone from the auditorium, Professor Ozpin sighed as he took a large chug from his coffee, ignoring the light burn on his lips he gulped it down with ease. The stress was starting to get to him even before the semester started.

"Ozpin…" Glynda warned, causing the headmaster to stop and lower his mug.

"I know." He sighed again. "Honestly Glynda, I never see you lecture Bartholomew with his consumption."

Looking minorly insulted, Professor Goodwitch crossed her arms. "He's a lost cause. And I'm doing you a favor. The last thing I need is seeing you become a second Oobleck."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. The thought of him like his old friend, though he much enjoyed his company, was not a thrilling thought. "Fair point." He muttered. "So, what do you surmise of our new students?" He asked, changing topics.

Glynda sighed as she turned to the remaining ones still in the auditorium. "I have little to say in all honesty. Every year is different… for better or worse. You know that."

She frowned as her thoughts trailed to the pasted opening ceremonies. Some good, others not. She supposed she should be thankful that there were no deaths so far this time. Less stress and paperwork for her.

Knowing far too well what she meant, the headmaster nodded. "Of course. However," He took another sip of his coffee and smiled. "I believe things may wind up to be an… interesting year."

Professor Goodwitch turned to him mildly surprised. He had only ever said that line once; and that was a long time ago, a class she would never forget. She frowned but shook her head. "While on the topic of the new arrivals, I suggest we better get back to work."

Ozpin nodded as he took another sip from his mug. "Quite right. I trust that the freshmen dormitory is up and ready?"

Glynda nodded as she brought her tablet up. "95% of the rooms are already assigned with the rest well on the way within the hour."

"You were always overly prepared." laughed the headmaster.

"It takes one to be." Retorted Glynda. "Especially in this time of peace." With that word, Ozpin's smile faded.

' _Peace.'_ His mind trailed, his eyes narrowed as the last of the students left the building. "Peace is only made by sacrifice." He whispered. "Isn't that right…" Again, he dared not say the name.

"Ozpin?" Glynda called, noticing her friend's behavior and walked a little closer. "Are you-"

"I best get back to my office." He interjected, his voice sounding more monotone now. "Please keep me informed of the assigning." Without waiting for a reply, the headmaster trotted off through the back curtains and then through the backstage door without a sound.

Glynda wanted to voice an objection but thought better of it when she caught a glance into Ozpin's eyes, the look that he bore. It was the same from…

She shook her head, the frown she had never fading. "You fool…" She whispered. "You don't have to have the whole world on your shoulders."

Without realizing it, she gripped the side of her tablet a little harder than necessary. "We're here too… you idiotic… stubborn… hard headed… valiant fool." She lowered her head and placed a hand over her chest. "I'm here...Ozpin."

A sudden ringing then emerged from her tablet. Glynda shook her head, regaining her composure, as she unlocked it. There a message popped up.

" _How did she do?"_ It read.

Glynda glanced at the sender's box and narrowed her eyes as she fixed her glasses.

" _She passed."_ She replied, and in seconds another message popped up.

" _Good, keep me up to date on her progress."_

Glynda scoffed to herself then quickly typed: " _You aren't going to congratulate her?"_

There was no immediate reply. Then after a minute passed, the sender did. " _Did Tai?"_

Glynda frowned as she typed: " _He hasn't contacted us, and we haven't been able to reach him."_

Before she could even inhale a new deep breath, the sender replied: _"Not surprised. Just keep an eye on her Glynda and tell Oz he'll have my report in a few more weeks. I'm onto something big."_

" _Understood. Just please… be safe. If not for us, then at least for her."_ Glynda typed.

Again, another minute passed until a reply came back. _"Just keep me updated on her progress, until then I'm going dark again. – Q."_

Glynda let out a growl of frustration as she closed the message screen, and rubbed her forehead. _'You're a fool too.'_ She thought and turned towards the curtains. _'When will men stop pushing everything away?'_

She gripped her heart as the pain in her chest started to fade. And with that, the door closed behind her.

With the opening ceremony now complete for the students, it was all a matter of what to do now to kill time. The obvious idea was to head to the cafeteria for a bite which majority of the students, from all grades, did.

For the freshmen after narrowly surviving the mass expulsion, the treacheries of the forest crawling with bloodthirsty Grimm, and even each other, a hunger was bound to form at some point.

They were moving together in a massive horde towards the dining hall. It was impressive how a great feasting building of its size could fill up quickly, even if it was only for today. Within seconds the room filled with swarms of hungry teens, elongated lines, and loud chattering or complaining of said lines.

Still, at the very least it was nowhere near as crowded as this morning; before the final cuts were made to the freshmen.

That morning, breakfast was overrun with new, eager, young faces, far too eager to the upperclassmen. And while understandable, eagerness always made it easier to tell who would stay, and who would go. The veteran students caught onto that very quickly. And right now, there was far less eagerness which was good.

Since the school's founding, there was a long-standing nickname the older students always passed down to the new arrivals. They called them "The Hazed Ones", for having always lost the most numbers due to the school's testing. While every grade had their eliminations, and challenges, the first years, by mandatory, face the worst of it all. It was almost like a brutal hazing to truly weed out their numbers hence their nickname.

For now, those who passed are safe for the time being. But the question on everyone's mind still asks;

' _How many will fail next time?'_

Until that day arrived, the freshmen enjoyed the moment of safety as dozens of students sat and ate their food with the other grades. The seats quickly filled up despite some students detouring from the dining hall.

Those lucky enough to find tables naturally separated into their groups; majority of which sat with their teams. Some tables had only Faunus while others had humans. Tensions even flared when some returning students attempted to sit in their usual spot but couldn't when newer students took them. Of course, some students merged together and didn't care if they were teammates, the same grade, or race.

The chefs had already done their work and cooked enough food to feed an army. There were dishes of all kinds served in buffet style lunches, some exotic – coming from all corners of Remnant, with others more local and simple.

For Ruby, she considered herself lucky. Having moved her team to the last row near the exit was nothing short of genius when the crowds started pushing to get out. Though she only did it to avoid everyone else in general.

Still, it allowed them to be one of the few to leave first granting a head start to the dining hall and by the time the hordes of students reached it, team RBTR had already headed out with their trays in hand.

Now the four were sitting under the large shaded tree, the same one where Ruby and Ren encountered one another this morning. The lake was as peaceful as they had left it. She sighed as she placed her tea down on her tray. Everyone had been eating in a comfortable silence which was a relief as Ruby was terrible at small talk.

Instead, she took a few glances at what they had chosen to eat. Nothing over the top, except maybe Adam's, with Ren taking small bites from his rice balls and sipping his tea calmly. Blake had chosen a tuna fish sandwich with croutons and was hungrily devouring it which surprised Ruby as she didn't seem the type. _'Starving maybe?'_

As for her brother, he got himself a large hamburger steak drizzled with gravy and served with roasted veggies and potato fries. He devoured it all quickly with a fork and steak knife like it was nothing. Ruby couldn't even take her eyes off him as he went at it, she was more impressed than disgusted. She then glanced down at her own food, possibly the smallest portion of a chicken cutlet with sticky rice. It was no wonder why she was so small compared to her sister, who ate every type of meat there is.

She then shivered at remembering all the dirty meat jokes Yang made in the past. That girl needed to control herself.

As tired as she should be from this morning, she didn't really have an appetite. Her mind was still on the assembly.

' _Why me? It makes no logical sense.'_ The more Ruby thought of it the more confused she got. _'Leaders are picked by their qualifications. I have no leadership experience, I prefer working alone, and I hate voicing my thoughts… so why headmaster?'_

As her mind wandered, she glanced around and spotted the main building just north of the dining hall, _"Beacon Academy's CCT Tower"_. Realizing it now she never did admire how tall it was. Without a doubt, it was the tallest building, overshadowing the others on campus. In fact, it was more like a spire than a building; no wonder the Headmaster's quarters were there.

"' _Wait…'_ A idea then hit Ruby, the administration office was in that tower, and so was Professor Ozpin's office. She smirked at putting two and two together, and with new found energy, Ruby rose (haaa pun) to her feet catching everyone's attention.

"You guys keep eating." She said quietly. "I'm going to go take care of some things."

Blake and Adam thought that was sudden and glanced to one another while Ren raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you prefer all of us to go with you?" he asked. "You know, to help? We are a team now."

"He does bring up a point." Blake added.

Ruby appreciated their generosity but shook her head. She had more to do than just the admins. And, with no offense, she couldn't have them seeing her true intentions.

"No it's alright." She replied. "I can handle things on my own. I'll catch up with you all when I finish."

Ren was about to respond but Ruby had already dashed off in the direction of the main building. "Wait!" he called, "What about your food?!"

"You can throw it out!" Ruby yelled back and was already long gone. The long-haired boy frowned again as he turned back to the siblings. Blake merely shrugged as Adam didn't show much reaction to her leaving.

"Do you not think that was a little strange?" Ren asked.

Blake shrugged again. "I wouldn't know," she replied. "In all fairness, we still don't know much about each other so I'm reserving my judgement."

Ren nodded, she had a point. He then turned to Adam as he finished his meal, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Just leave her be for now." said the Faunus boy. "In the meantime..." Without hesitation, Adam leaned over and picked up Ruby's plate.

"Adam!" Blake protested as her brother started taking a bite. He looked up and shrugged at the accusing eyes he got from both his sister and Ren.

"What? You heard her." He challenged, "Better to not let it go to waste."

Blake was about to interject until Ren stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "We really can't argue with that logic."

Thinking it over, Blake silently sighed and admitted defeat. Her brother smirked behind the plate as he proudly wolfed down the food.A few bites and it was all gone. And with another sigh, Adam placed the new plate on his tray.

"Now I'm full." He stated wiping his mouth and ignoring his sister's annoyed stare. His eyes wandered around the area and then glanced in the direction Ruby ran off. He may not have said anything but his eyes did watch her the whole time. And the direction she took, it was towards the tower.

Though he said to leave her be, he would be lying if he didn't find her behavior a bit strange. Of course, Blake also had a point. Aside from his sister, they have only known Ruby and Ren for two days; who were they to say they knew how she acted.

He would have dropped the suspicion all together; until he saw that glint in her eyes before she left.

Narrowed eyes, excited smirk, and an aura of confidence; it was a look he was far too familiar with.

' _What are you up to Little Red?'_ He wondered and rose to his feet. "I'll be right back." he muttered. Blake raised an eyebrow.

"And where are you going?" she asked with minor crossness. Adam glanced down at her and smirked. "Restroom."

Without waiting for a reply, he began walking down the same trail Ruby took. "I'll catch up with you two." He called, tucking his hands into his pockets.

As he walked farther away Blake rolled her eyes as she turned to Ren. "Are you planning to leave as well?"

The long-haired boy shook his head as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have any reason to." He smiled. "Besides, someone has to help carry the trays back to the dining hall."

Blake shrugged for what felt like the umpteenth time, but this time with a small smile. "At least you're useful for that."

It didn't take long for Ruby to reach Beacon Tower, not with her speed. Now standing in front of the spire, her eyes marveled up at how high it was now. It looked as if it could reach the clouds, or perhaps it did she couldn't tell.

What would the view be like from that point she wondered; to be all the way up top. The entire world could have been seen. She imagined strong, cool gusts flowing through her hair, and with the autumn cycle now, she could see endless miles of colorful trees. Perhaps she would try and sneak up there; but that was an attempt for another day.

For now, she had business to attend to, but she was already facing her first obstacle: the door. What should have been an easy enter was more difficult than Ruby surmised; not from outside sources but from her own will. Every step she would try to take, she hesitated every time.

It got to the point where she had been standing outside long enough to feel awkward. She grew irritated now. _'Just step in'_ She hissed to herself but her body didn't listen. _'Why?'_ She wondered. _'Why do I feel so…'._ This feeling, she recognized it from her past and it caused her to frown, _'intimidated'._

She hated this feeling. She did in the past and she still does today. Violently, she shook her head ridding the memories. _'Get it together… go in!'_

It took every muscle in both her legs to take a step forward. When she did, the sensors picked her up and the automatic doors opened. The first thing she felt was the blast of cool air hitting her face which helped refresh her anxious state.

Ruby entered slowly and stopped when she saw the vast openness of the main floor. She could see almost everything inside, except for the top. The rims of the floor, elevated up by metallic slabs, shined light neon green illuminating the room, though nowhere near in reaching the top.

' _And I thought the outside looked tall…'_

There was no furniture, no guards, or anyone for that matter; just four doors including the entrance Ruby entered from. However, in the center stood a massive electronic pillar with several holo-computers surrounding it. There was a sign above that read, _"Information Center"_

' _I guess that's better than blindly searching floor to floor.'_ she thought, and with a shrug Ruby walked over to one of the computers and turned it on.

Within seconds the monitor flashed on, loading up Beacon's symbol before the digitized image of a woman appeared. _"Greetings,"_ Said the A.I. and offered a small bow _"Welcome to Beacon Academy's CCT Tower! How may I assist you?"_ Her tone was gentle yet professional with the slight robotics in her voice.

Ruby bowed back, on reflex, and asked. "Where may I find the headmaster's office?"

" _Headmaster Ozpin's academic quarters?"_ The A.I. asked, tilting her head to the side.

Ruby nodded.

" _Understood."_ The A.I. bowed again and raised a hand up with a smile. _"Headmaster Ozpin's office level is at the very top of Beacon Tower. The south elevator will take you directly to your destination. That would be the elevator right behind me. Was there anything else you needed?"_

Ruby gave it some thought and then remembered why she even came here to begin with. "Where would your administration level be?"

The A.I. smiled, _"That would be the second level, right above us."_

Ruby scoffed. _'This vast open space is one level?'_ She thought."So, take the elevator to the second and final level?"

" _I apologize, but the south elevator does not go to the second floor. If you wish to go to the administration level, then you would have to take the west elevator."_ frowned the A.I.

This caused the red hooded girl to quirk an eyebrow. "I would have to take another elevator? Why?"

" _In CCT Tower, protocol dictates that any, and all, elevators are to be under strict elevation; while all high priority levels are to remain, diverse and limited to certain levels of reach."_

"Why is that?" Ruby asked.

" _To ensure the safety of critical information, data, records, and high value personal within the tower. Each, and every, level within the building is categorized and grouped within four specific codes."_

"And what are these codes for?"

" _To estimate the threat level within the tower's proximity range in terms of threat, terror, power, and danger. Once estimated, automatic lockdown procedures initiates and defensive procedures engage depending on whichever code is active."_

"So, these codes are active?"

" _Standard green is the towers current active state indicating all secure levels are 100% safe. Automatic rescan takes place every two minutes to update further status."_

Ruby nodded, fascinated by the new information. She always knew of the tower's purpose but never the smaller details. "Final question, what are the codes?"

" _As previously explained, code protocols are broken up into four categories. These categories Yellow, White, Black, and Red."_

The A.I. image grew smaller as four blocks appeared below her, each with the color she recently mentioned.

" _Code yellow is the standard protocol after green. It has the lowest threat level which requires only the basic security measures. Code white is moderate with dangers that are non-life threatening. Code black requires high defense rates with possibilities including death. And finally, code red, designed for the most dangerous scenarios involving mass terror with guaranteed mortality inevitability."_

Ruby nodded. "I see… thank you for assisting me." She muttered with a bow.

" _It has been my pleasure."_ The A.I. replied and bowed as well before the screen shut black. Ruby sighed as she stared at her reflection in the monitor. _'Does this tower really have to be so strict?'_ She wondered.

Better safe than sorry was a belief she of course supported, but when the tower was surrounded by hundreds of hunters, and hunters in training, it was just overkill. Still what choice did she have.

Ruby walked around the pillar and now glanced at the three elevator doors. Each had a slab implanted overhead with the letters _"S", "E", and "W"_. This sort of directory reminded Ruby of a compass as she made her way to the back elevator. It didn't take long for the door to open as she quickly stepped inside.

" _Welcome to the CCT's south elevator. How may I help you?"_ Said a female voice, much less robotic than the one from the information center.

Ruby glanced around but she saw no artificial hologram like the other one. This one was just a voice. "Hello… voice… please take me to the… headmaster's office."

" _Of course!"_ The voice chipped. _"Could you please place your scroll on the terminal scanner to verify your identity?"_

Ruby glanced around confused. "Verify?"

" _Why yes! Protocol states all scrolls registered under any CCT tower must automatically input their identification to be placed within their respected authorization and access points."_

Ruby took a minute to process this. "I see…" _'Respected authorization and access points… am I even allowed in his office?'_ she wondered. She thought about asking but decided against it; it would just result in another long explanation. And she hadn't the time or patience for that right now. "Alright, just... place my scroll on the terminal's scanner?"

" _Not necessary, simply hold it close enough to be scanned and, if approved, this elevator will take you to your desired destination."_

Ruby glanced down at the terminal layout on her right. She counted 15 buttons, each representing its own floor with a small, dark, rectangular screen glowing red, the scanner. Slowly, she reached for her scroll and moved it near the screen. Within seconds several digital beeps sounded before fading as quickly as it emerged.

" _Perfect!"_ The voice cheered happily. _"Authorization has been granted to the "Headmaster's Quarters;" thank you Miss Rose!"_

Ruby turned to the terminal quickly confused, and minorly shocked. She saw the top button on the right, labeled 15, light up before the elevator jolted for a second and began to smoothly rise.

' _It knew my name?'_ She asked herself, slightly bewildered. Ruby glanced down at her scroll, the black phone reflected her eyes through the light. _'Did the terminal always know… or did it just learn it from the scan?'_ she questioned. _'Is there even any privacy with these security measures? Or...'_ She stopped and leaned back against the wall as she sighed heavily. _'I must stop over-questioning and speculating everything…'_ She thought and raised her hood over her eyes. _'Such a bad habit.'_

It didn't take long for Ruby to reach the top of the tower, in fact it was hardly even a minute. She observed the lights blink on and off as her elevator passed the other floors. The interesting part was how it seemed to skip several of them at once without blinking.

The A.I. in the information box did mention the elevators had different access to specific floors. She supposed that meant they never stop on every level. She will have to remember that. And just as she finished her thought, the door opened.

Hesitant at first, Ruby glanced around to see that she was in the middle of a corridor. She stepped out and the doors immediately closed behind her. She looked both ways to see nothing but a few plants and paintings along the wall; other than that, the halls were deserted.

' _Where is his office?'_ Ruby thought and began walking. The corridor was narrow but spacious enough for two bodies to walk side by side in. She took small glances at the paintings, most being backgrounds of elegant biomes and landscapes. She also noticed a distinct lack of windows which disappointed her a bit. Anyone with claustrophobia would never want to be stuck in here.

After turning into a new corridor, she saw a large black door in the middle of the new hall. She approached it and read a single gold-plated sign above the entrance. _"Headmaster Ozpin's Office"._

' _Found it.'_

After finally making her way here, Ruby was now standing face to face with the headmaster's door. Aside from her reason, the idea of confronting her headmaster made her grow slightly tense. She tried to knock at first but instead she stared at the large steel door, and then the small terminal on the side. Her jaw tightened as she balled her hands into fists. She sighed the irritation out of her system and her eyes closed.

' _Come on… I made it this far, I can't second guess now.'_ Though she thought it, she still remained in place. Her anxiety started taking hold of her, filling Ruby's mind with possible negative outcomes.

What if she overstepped her welcome, what if she insults him, what if she angers him, or offends his judgement. She would possibly risk expulsion all for nothing and lose out on the best opportunity she's been given. Her body trembled at the thought.

She shook her head.

' _No… he isn't like that.'_ She argued. _'The headmaster is more mature than that and would never act on emotion… at least… I don't think so…'_ She was still unsure and this frustration she felt wasn't helping. _'Maybe I should come back another time…when I… think this over...'_ The idea sounded appealing, a tactical retreat was perhaps best for now. She even felt relief from it.

Far quicker than she thought, Ruby turned from the door realizing the fear really got to her. But before even taking a step away, the door slid open.

"Miss Rose." Ruby froze in place with widened eyes. "Can I help you with anything?"

It was the headmaster's voice.

She dared not look back to show her anxiety. As calm as she could, Ruby shook her head. "No… headmaster… I was just… leaving." She muttered. She could feel Ozpin's stare and fought back a shiver.

His footsteps echoed in the hall as he stepped out. "But you just arrived. Surely you had something to ask."

Ruby shook her head again, this time a little faster. "It was nothing important headmaster… I'm sorry I… wasted your time."

"Perhaps you could repeat that but this time face us?" That voice did not belong to the headmaster. It was feminine and not Professor Goodwitch's either.

Holding her breath, Ruby slowly turned until she came face to face, with not only the headmaster, but the face of the new voice as well.

The new woman, whose age Ruby could not tell, was elegantly dressed in an ivory white blouse designed with ruffles on the chest and cuffs. The ends of her blouse extended past her knees covering the white leggings underneath her short black skirt. Her black heeled boots extended up to her thighs, secured by the dozens of lacings that matched her black gloves.

Ruby stared at the new woman curiously. Mid- long whitish lilac hair, hazel brown eyes, and light pale skin. She then glanced to Professor Ozpin and then back to the woman. Seeing them together… she quickly bowed to the headmaster.

"I… apologize for the interruption… you were understandably busy… I should not have bothered you."

Both teachers glanced at one another and the new woman smiled slightly before Ozpin replied, "If my students are experiencing any troubles and woes, then it is my duty to see to their aid Miss Rose."

Ruby glanced up. And she could see through his eyes how truthful he was and felt some comfort in that.

"Now please, we're all ears."

Though his reassurance allowed her to believe him, Ruby still felt embarrassment as both teachers stared at her.

She averted her eyes and crossed her arms uncomfortably. "I say this with no offense… professor," She said to the woman. "But this is for the Headmaster's ears… alone… I apologize." Ruby bowed again, much lower than last time.

The new teacher quirked an eyebrow before immediately turning to the headmaster again. He said as he smiled and nodded to her. She nodded back and too smiled as she placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Raise your head child." she said, in a tone so gentle yet professional, that it reminded Ruby of her mother's speech. "I take no offence. But just know whatever plight you may experience; all faculty members are here to lend guidance."

Ruby slowly nodded, not able to look the professor in the eye.

"Why don't you wait for me in my office, Ophelia." Said Ozpin. "I'll return momentarily."

The woman nodded and gave Ruby one last glance. "Farewell child. May the gods free you from the heavy clouds that blocks your mind. And may our headmaster's words provide guidance and clarity for a brighter morrow."

With that, she turned, not looking back, and entered the office as the door closed behind her.

Ruby replayed the professor's words again then turned to the headmaster, moderately confused. "Is she always that… poetic?"

Professor Ozpin laughed a little. "For as long as I can remember."

"You two have… history?" The red hooded girl asked.

The headmaster smiled. "A very long one." He said, and Ruby could see the gentle smiled he bore. "However, that isn't relevant now, your troubles are. So please," Ozpin extended his hand out. "Walk with me." Ruby nodded and slowly paced to the headmaster's side.

At first the two were silent as they walked down the long narrow hallway. The silence made Ruby tense again as she side-glanced the headmaster. He looked calm, relaxed, and even at peace as he stared ahead while taking small sips of his coffee.

Finally realizing things won't pick up until she started it, Ruby broke the silence. "Professor…" she began, "I…I…"

"You do not have to force yourself right away." the headmaster insisted. "Take your time, collect your thoughts, and then express them."

' _He has a way with words.'_ Thought Ruby as she nodded.

She began inhaling several deep breaths in hopes of relaxing her, which it did but only to a modicum. She then gathered her words carefully, replaying them several times in her mind until they sounded good.

After the repeats sounded good, she felt ready and stopped walking, the headmaster did so as well as he turned to face her now.

"Are you ready to express?" Ozpin asked. And Ruby nodded.

"Headmaster," she started. "I mean this with no offense… but… I… I feel as if you…" She paused from slight fear; and the headmaster tilted his head curiously.

"I what?" he asked.

Ruby gritted her teeth and lowered her head. She began muttering sounds under her breath causing Professor Ozpin to lean closer to better hear what she was mumbling. And then with blinding speed that caught the headmaster by surprise, she looked up and blurted. "I feel you made a mistake!"

The headmaster took a step back. He said nothing right away as he sipped his coffee while staring at the ceiling.

At first, Ruby was expecting some response. But when he did not react at all, she grew anxious again. Her heart skipped a beat when Professor Ozpin glanced down and stared into her eyes. She could not read his expression and felt uneasy for what he was thinking; was he insulted, angry or upset? She felt a drop of sweat drip from her cheek and feared the worst, until she saw him smiling.

"Could you please elaborate?" he asked. There was a hint of… amusement which threw Ruby off.

She rubbed her arm awkwardly, averting her eyes again and said, "I… don't wish to offend you…I-"

"Miss Rose," Ozpin interjected. "I assure you, you will never offend me in any sort. I would not be a proper headmaster if I let personal opinions affect my decisions and judgment."

Though his words calmed Ruby down a bit, she wished she could just run away. Since entering the building, her anxiety has been affecting her to no end.

"Miss Rose," Ruby turned back to the headmaster. "Whatever is conflicting you, I assure you can discuss it with me. And if it is a decision I made, I would like to hear what troubled you about it. Now please, tell me of your woe." He insisted.

With a heavy sigh, Ruby nodded, she may as well get it over with. "Headmaster… I … I feel as if you made a mistake in… in making me a leader."

"I see." Professor Ozpin nodded and sipped his coffee again. His face still held no readable expression which now frustrated Ruby. "Could you please explain why you shouldn't be team leader then?"

This caught Ruby off guard. She didn't know what to say at first. But after thinking about it, she lowered her hood and stared firmly into Ozpin's eyes. "Headmaster… in the words of my mentor… _"I am not a follower, but I never cared to be a leader."_ "

Professor Ozpin narrowed his eyes. _'Interesting… he still impacts her despite his absence.'_

Ruby suddenly turned away. She sighed as she closed her eyes. "While I am honored by the title you bestowed upon me; I believe it is better off in the hands of one… more suitable than I."

"You believe you are not the one?" The headmaster asked.

"I know I am not." Ruby retorted.

"Is that so? And pray tell who do you believe should be leader?"

Ruby remained silent, she did not have an answer. She never even thought about who should take her place, only that it shouldn't be her. She mentally pictured each of her teammates. They were all skillful and cunning, each could have been leader. Ruby felt frustrated, this was the very reason why she wanted one of them to be chosen from the start.

"Adam." she suddenly whispered, after what felt like an eternity. "He should be leader."

Professor Ozpin nodded and sipped his mug. "You believe he is better suited than you?"

"Yes." Ruby stated. "I have seen his skills first hand. He is by far the most cunning, swift, and efficient in battle than the rest of us. He never once hesitated during our fight in the forest. He even saved me."

She remembered the situation with the Nevermore's feather. If he hadn't stepped in, neither Ren nor herself wouldn't have survived.

"My point is headmaster… through his actions I was able to tell that he is no amateur. He is seasoned in combat - experienced in it. Adam is more qualified to be the leader of team RBTR, much more than I am."

The more Ruby spoke of Adam, the more Ozpin could hear the desperation in her tone. What she said was true, he was experienced; especially from his background. Him, and Miss Belladonna in fact. However, her reasons sounded more insistent than an explanation.

The headmaster then glanced behind him towards the shadow around the corner, and smiled when he saw it back up.

"Miss Rose, do you fear responsibility?" Ozpin asked turning to the red hooded girl.

Ruby flinched at the question. "No headmaster I…" She froze, unable to finish her sentence. Professor Ozpin noticed it and sighed.

"My dear, while I'm sure Mr. Taurus can hold his own, you understand there is more to a leader than combat skills."

"I do understand… but sir I just…" Ruby sighed and lowered her head. "The title just isn't me."

Ozpin hummed as he glanced down at his mug. He swirled it enough to rid the reflection he saw from the coffee's surface. "Do you know how I make my decisions, Miss Rose?" He asked.

Ruby shook her head.

Professor Ozpin smiled. "Well, before that, I will not lie, a leader is a daunting title. Every option - every decision, all fall upon you. Every action taken is by your choice in how to deal with it. One mistake could mean certain death, not just for you, but for those who follow."

Ruby frowned. Those were the reasons why she never wanted to be a leader in the first place.

"As a headmaster, I hold a great deal of hands Miss Rose, yours included." The red hooded girl remained silent as Ozpin glanced away. "The students, the faculty, even the civilians in Vale… possibly all of Remnant; their lives and safety weigh on my shoulders. Not only as a huntsman, but as a teacher… training the next generation of defenders." He stared into Ruby's eyes and it was her turn to glance away.

"Believe me Miss. Rose, I always consider all of my options. Every detail, every scenario, and every result; I always calculate and analyze for the best result. Trust me when I say this… Ruby." The red hooded girl's eyes widened when the headmaster addressed her first name. "I've made more mistakes that will last beyond a lifetime; and I will always regret them for as long as I live. They are the reasons for my care in future decisions, in hopes of… avoiding more regrets."

Ruby stared into the Headmaster's hazel eyes; and through his spectacles she recognized a familiar sight from herself... sadness. This surprised her. She had always heard of Ozpin being one of the most skillful hunters across Remnant. A valiant warrior, a genius strategist, and a brilliant headmaster; it would be ludicrous of anyone to think he would feel any negative emotion.

Many have always wondered what kind of man he is. There has always been little to no information on his past or history aside from his title as Headmaster. However, seeing him up close now, she could understand why people would call him, _"The Shrouded Headmaster."_

His whole persona embedded mystery. But despite that, even if she cared little for female gossip and arousal, she found the sight of his eyes beautiful now; because even a legend can still relate to pain and sorrow and she found that admirable. It wasn't until Professor Ozpin placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder, that Ruby snapped out of it.

"However, aside from the mistakes I made… at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader being one of them."

Ruby's eyes widened with shock. She quickly looked away as the headmaster retracted his arm. He then leaned closer to Ruby. "Allow me to explain."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. The anxiety and admiration she felt suddenly disappeared as she didn't know what she felt now. Knowing there wasn't much she can do, Ruby mentally sighed and turned back, letting their eyes meet once more.

Ozpin frowned; he could see everything he felt through her eyes. Anger, anxiety, fear and sorrow; her indignation was so readable it caused the headmaster to sigh. "Miss Rose… being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle. It is a badge you wear constantly. And when I see it, the decision is made by itself."

Ruby would have scoffed at that if she hadn't caught herself. "I'm sorry… I just can't… I don't carry that badge…"

Ozpin backed up and turned around. "You don't believe so?" He asked.

Ruby shook her head firmly, only reinforcing her belief. "I know so."

The headmaster nodded as he dug into his coat pocket. "I see... well… I believe this would beg to differ." He turned back around with a scroll in his hand playing a video. Ruby glanced at it closely and realized it was a capture of her group during their battle this morning.

"It is amazing what drones can capture. So small yet precise in recording everything they see." Ruby shook her head. The drone recorded everything from the defense against the Death Stalker, the retreat from the Alpha Nevermore, to the final stand on the bridge.

"I hope you realize that we barely made it out with our lives… Headmaster." Ruby declared, and felt minor anger. Exam or not, she assumed there was a line to be drawn if an Alpha Grimm joined the fray.

"Believe me Miss Rose I was aware of your predicament there. And I did consider sending faculty to aid and extract you to safety."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. His students barely held out and he only thought about sending help? She let out a faint growl. The help he thought about never even came. "Then why-"

"Until I saw this." The headmaster fast forwarded the video and showed Ruby. It was the clip of their final stand against the Nevermore.

"Incredible." Said Ozpin as he watched the screen. "A decisive plan executed flawlessly, steady discipline from all those involved, everyone playing their part… and the result? The Alpha was defeated. And pray tell, who was the mastermind behind this plan?"

Ruby's heart dropped as she looked away. Ozpin place his scroll back in his pocket. "I never placed you in a leadership position Miss Rose. You did it yourself." Ruby shifted uncomfortably a little as she raised her hood. "I understand you've been burdened with a daunting responsibility."

"I never asked for it!" She suddenly blurted. "I may have lead them through one plan but that doesn't make me a leader!"

Ozpin once again placed a hand on her shoulder. "It only takes one to build you on the path Miss Rose." He then retracted his hand and turned away. "Years ago, long before you, there was another who felt the same way you did." The red hooded girl tilted her head curiously. "She was picked to be leader and felt exactly as you do now: afraid and doubtful."

Ozpin then glanced at Ruby, and for a second-time flashed years ago to _**her**_ and the pain caused him to look away. "But in time, she grew to accept the role, and soon realized how impactful she was to others. And in time… she became one of the best hunters, and leaders I've had the honor of knowing."

The headmaster's words impacted Ruby. Her thoughts scattered and now she felt torn and mixed feelings. She then noticed the slight tilt of Professor Ozpin's head. It almost looked as if he was-

"You may not realize it Miss Rose," The headmaster continued, "but through your actions, you have gained a team that trusts you, regardless of age, title, or experience. And if they trust you to lead them, then there is a reason why."

Ruby couldn't find a reply. Her head lowered as many thoughts rushed through her mind, some good, others bad. She shut her eyes tightly as she gritted her teeth. Ozpin could see the conflict the young girl was having. He fully turned back to her and place a hand on her cheek this time tilting her to look up at him.

"I know things seem confusing and awry right now. This is no doubt a large step for you. But I believe you will see, in time, what I see within you. Until then, I advise you to take some time and think about this. And if I do see I was mistaken, then I will grant your wish. Until then, please enjoy the rest of your time Miss Rose."

Without waiting for a reply Ozpin backed away and walked down the hall. He took one final look at Ruby who remained still with her hair covering her eyes and frowned as he turned the corner.

It didn't take long for the headmaster to reach his office. As he entered he stared into his large empty office and released a long begrudging sigh as he gulped a large mouthful of coffee.

"I believe Glynda told you not to do that anymore." Ozpin wiped his mouth with a cloth and turned to the speaker.

"And I believe I told you not to sit in my chair Ophelia." The new professor smiled as she turned the roller chair around to reveal her figure sitting crossed legged.

"You know I cannot help myself. It is far too comfortable not to enjoy." The professor laughed, but seeing the expression on the Headmaster's face caused her to grow serious. "What happened with the Rose child?"

Ozpin did not reply right away as he merely shook his head and walked over to his personal kitchen. He quickly turned on the coffee maker and rubbed his head as the machine poured his mug a fresh new cup of coffee.

"Ozpin?" Ophelia called again. When she received no response, she approached him slowly. Her eyes suddenly widened as she witnessed him chugging the whole mug down.

"Brother!" She cried and gripped his hand forcing the mug away from him lips. Ozpin stopped drinking then lowered the mug himself slowly. He ignored the pain and sting in his mouth as he gripped the mug so tightly, Ophelia could see minor cracks forming. "Brother..." she said more gently. "Please tell me… what happened with the child?"

Ozpin glanced at her, the frown never leaving his face as he said. "Like mother like daughter..."

Ophelia frowned as she cupped her brother's cheek. "Did another flashback arise?"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes as he gripped his forehead. "I cannot go a day without seeing one… but this one was worse… when I looked at Miss Rose… she was the spitting image of _**her**_."

Ophelia nodded as she carefully removed the mug from his hand. "I know it isn't easy. But you are doing the best you can offer brother."

"I know… believe me Ophelia I have not forgotten my promise. History will not repeat itself."

Ophelia nodded. "I know… we all owe you an unpayable debt."

Ozpin shook his head. "No… not me… _**her**_."

When Ruby reached the elevator door she pressed it absentmindedly as she replayed the talk with her headmaster. Her as a leader? She shook her head. _'His judgment is askew.'_

A leader should never have a compunction about leading. He should know that. She was a rogue, a loner, like her master, and as such she would follow his example, not accept a role she would fail. _'Hunt through the shadows, hunt as an assassin, hunt as an omega.'_ These were the ways of her master.

If he could do it, then so could she. Why was it mandatory to work with others if you're perfectly capable of working alone? Besides it's easier being alone.

It was then a sudden image of her teammates flashed through Ruby's eyes. They widened as she felt a tug in her chest and quickly shook her head as she pressed the elevator button again.

' _I… I don't dislike them.'_ She told her conscious which was true. Never once did they annoy or irritate her. While they were not bad, she didn't know what to call them. She would guess... tolerable. In fact, Ruby couldn't remember the last time she had been around such passable company. Which was, unfortunately, the precise reason leading was a fool's job.

Since the origins of hunters, stories had always been told and heard of their heroism; braving the unknown, engaging the black swarms of evil, and always viewed as icons of hope, beacons of salvation. And while the world celebrates their valor, the public remain fools; ignorant to what is never revealed. Never realizing that a hunter's life isn't for celebration, but prayer.

In their lives, tragedy is only common sense in their future occupation whether one likes it or not. While their actions may reflect positivity to others, to one's self it can be torment. Not every team survives, not every hunter lives, or retires and ends in a happy ending.

' _It's all bullshit… why else would hunters make up a small percentage of Remnant's defenses? Why else would the casualty rate be high, and have very few reach their middle adulthood if they're lucky?'_ Another image of her teammates flashed again and this time, with gritted teeth, she punched the elevator button.

All this thinking caused a minor headache as she rubbed her forehead. She closed her eyes and took deep breathes which soothed her head a little. "Why is the elevator taking so long?!" She hissed.

As if the inanimate object responded, a bell sound rang and the door opened. Ruby sighed as she tried to regain her tranquility before stepping inside. _'Calm down Rose… just breathe.'_ When she turned around the doors already closed.

" _Hello, welcome to the CCT's south elevator!"_ Greeted the feminine artificial voice from earlier. _How may I help you?"_ Shaken out of her thoughts, Ruby's anger and frustration already subsided as she turned to the terminal

"Hello again…" She muttered, there was really no point in even greeting the elevator as it wouldn't remember her on its own. _'I guess that answers my earlier question.'_ "I wish to return to the main floor please?"

" _Of course! Please place your scroll on the terminal scanner to verify your identity."_

Like before, Ruby took out her scroll without any hesitation this time and held it near to be scanned.

" _Authorization granted, thank you Miss Rose. Have a nice day!"_ The voice said and the elevator started to move.

Ruby sighed again as she backed up and leaned against the wall. Her thoughts returned to her conversation with the Headmaster again

' _What could he possibly see in me?'_ She frowned. _'Is he trying to say he knows me better than I know myself? It's preposterous! I am no leader… I'm worthless as one.'_ Ruby then winced as she tugged her hood. ' _I really wish you were here master… I need your wisdom right now.'_

It didn't take long for the elevator to reach the main floor. When she felt the little bump below her feet she knew she arrived. Without looking up she started for the door, still pondering her thoughts as the elevator opened. She stepped out and only made it two steps before she bumped chest first into another body much taller than her.

She gasped a little as she gathered her bearings and remembered where she was. She assessed the situation and quickly bowed after realizing what happened. "I deeply apologize, I wasn't-"

"Fancy meeting you here." Eyes widened, Ruby's head shot up, quickly being face to face with the one in front of her.

"Hello… Little Red."

"Adam…" Ruby whispered. The red headed Faunus nodded. "Why… why are you here?" she asked, sounding a little too surprised than she would have preferred.

The bull Faunus crossed his arms with a quirked eyebrow. "I could be asking you the same thing."

Ruby felt sweat forming around her forehead and quickly turned away. "I… I went to speak to the headmaster." She answered and mentally swore for being honest.

Adam nodded as he fixed his sunglasses, "I see…" Ruby did not like the tone in his voice. "And may I ask why?"

Ruby felt unsettled by the tense awkwardness of her silence. She felt like a child caught taking from the cookie jar, and Adam her scolding father waiting for her excuse. She rubbed her forearm a little apprehensively as she felt his hard, accusing stare. Her mind raced to find a reasonable reply, any type of reply. But with his eyes on her, stage fright returned.

"I- I- It wasn't important… j- just basic questions a- about the… academy." Ruby cursed the stutter in her voice as a cold chill ran down her spine. She knew he would not buy that, not unless he was an idiot which she highly doubted.

She took a chance and turned a little to see him. Adam held no readable expression as he silently nodded. "Is that so?" He asked, rubbing his chin.

Ruby, with deject, nodded.

"Well, clearly it does matter if you are lying to me."

The red hooded girl knew he'd say that and immediately turned back, mouth open, ready to retort until Adam silenced her with a hand up. "Let's stop beating around the bush." He sighed. "I followed you up there. I know what you were really discussing so there's no reason to hide it."

Ruby's eyes widened then nearly closed as she lowered her head. Her bangs fell over her eyes as she dared not look up. Seconds felt like centuries until she finally asked in a hushed tone, "Why did you follow me?"

Adam merely shrugged. "You don't seem like the type of person who suddenly runs off; that is not without a good reason, I think."

He had a point there. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." He quickly answered and Ruby could hear the boy shifting a step closer. "So… do you want to tell me why you tried demoting yourself?"

The red hooded girl stiffened. When he said it like that she felt… demoralized, like her pride had been destroyed. Many thoughts rushed through her mind to find an answer, she was conflicted in saying anything at all and all the overthinking caused anxiety.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity she said. "I doubt you'll understand my reasons."

When she did not receive a reply, Ruby felt the worse. Perhaps she insulted, or even angered him. She was always brutally honest to people and would not linger with it, even to those she tolerated.

However, no insult was retorted like she thought. Instead, she felt a hand on her shoulder; then another below her chin slowly, but gently, raising her head up. Whether she wanted to or not she was now looking at Adam; but she could see no anger.

There was no frown, or even malice on his face. The Faunus only gazed at her with a calm expression and even a slight smirk. "Try me." was all he said.

And in that very moment, Ruby felt that warmth in her chest again, the same one she felt from the top of the elevator. She glanced down at the hand on her shoulder and for a brief second, she felt warmth.

"It's a long explanation." Ruby said as she gently pushed his hand away with her own smirk.

Adam shrugged as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "Better start explaining then."

 **And thus the fourteenth chapter comes to an end. My that was long! Not as long as the last one but still pretty long. My Dark Readers, again I am sorry for my delay. I will do my best to post the next chapter as fast as possible, please. The main story continues.**

 **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT :)**


	18. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the fifteenth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First, I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite. Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story**

 **Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version**

Chapter 15: Preparations

When Ruby mentioned it would be a long explanation, she wasn't lying. For several long minutes her venting grew longer and longer each time. Everything came into light when her explaining turned into a rant. Her doubt, frustration, and confusion all poured out like an eruption with her words as the lava, and her mouth the volcano. And all throughout, never once did Adam interrupt. And when she concluded he added his two cents.

"So, you're saying you're afraid?" Though it was not at all what Ruby thought he would say.

She shook her head and glanced down at the floor. "Not afraid just... "She sighed. "I just believe there must be...precise qualifications to leadership."

Adam scoffed causing Ruby to glance up. "Precise?" He questioned. "And you think you don't have them?"

The red hooded girl shrugged a little as she leaned further against the wall. "I know I don't." she whispered.

Adam shook his head as he leaned on one of the metallic slabs with folded arms. "First, I disagree with your idea of _"precise"_ and second," He now stared into Ruby's eyes. "I think you're acting cowardice."

Ruby felt angered as her body rose from the wall on emotional reflex. "How is it cowardice?" She challenged, her eyes narrowed now. "I'm stating I'm not qualified to be a leader."

"You mean not trying." Adam retorted causing Ruby to growl in frustration.

"What I'm **trying** to do is keep the team from jeopardy!" She argued, her hands now balled into fists. "An inexperienced leader will only bring more harm than good. That's what separates success and failure." She reasoned and took a step closer to Adam. "If I fail, then you, Ren, and Blake all suffer a fate I dare not imagine, all because of me" She was now directly in his face. "I can't have that on my conscious."

Adam showed no reaction as he slowly nodded. He didn't reply either as he backed up and slowly paced back and forth, with one hand under his chin. This irritated Ruby as she stared at him, wondering if he was even taking this seriously.

"So, I was right." He finally said after a moment. "You are afraid."

Eyes widened, Ruby's nails now dug into her palms. "I'm not afraid!" Her voice echoed in the empty hall causing her to wince from embarrassment. "I'm…" She stopped and muttered, "… anxious."

"Is there a difference?" Adam asked. He stopped his pacing and turned back to Ruby. "Afraid, nervous, anxious, call it what you want but they all derive from the same concept; fear." Ruby winced again. "And if you can't admit it, then perhaps I misjudged you." he finished.

From his tone, she could hear the disappointment in his voice. Like a parent punishing their child, or a teacher scolding a student.

Her head dropped in defeat. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't deny the truth from Adam's logic. She gritted her teeth, never thinking she would feel so vulnerable again; not after the training she received.

But here she was, scolded not once, but twice, and by a fellow student no less. Though she supposed Adam wasn't an average student at all. He already proved himself much calmer, wiser, and more mature than majority of first years. His skills were so sharp and dangerous, he was a natural warrior with high potential.

' _So why?!'_ She mentally growled. _'Why won't you accept the role?!'_

"Adam…." She whispered, slightly raising her head. "I… I will not deny my fear… but doesn't that reinforce why I should not be leader?"

Adam shook his head. "Anyone can experience fear. Leader or not." Again, with that damn logic Ruby now felt herself disliking.

"But leaders have to be mentally hardened to inspire followers and improve moral." She shot back, and gave Adam a hard stare as the two's eyes locked. "And don't deny when I say we both know your skills are far greater for the position than I."

To her surprise, Adam broke his glance first when hearing that which encouraged her to press on. "You know I'm right. You never hesitated in the forest, you coordinated efficiently, and helped your allies in dire situations… myself included."

Ruby's eyes narrowed upon remembering the Nevermore trapping her. Had it not been for Adam, she would have perished along with Ren, who foolishly tried to protect her. In fact, all three of them came to her rescue. While appreciative, it sickened her to no end as her blood boiled from the humiliation she felt. She was a warrior, not a damsel at least not anymore. Now it would be inexcusable after her training, how disappointed would her master be if he found out.

She frowned at the thought as she turned from the Faunus boy and sighed. "Can you still not see the mistake the headmaster made in choosing me instead of you?" She asked. "He neglected your skills… and placed us both in the wrong positions."

Adam remained silent as his eyes now fell onto the hole in Ruby's hood, the mark left by the Nevermore's feather. His arms tensed, there was no need to guess how far it could have penetrated skin; he already knew. If he and Blake arrived a few seconds too late, both Ruby and Ren would have ended up like -

' _No… forget that day…'_ he scowled to himself. _'Forget them…'_ Their faces kept flashing through his eyes as Adam kept fighting them back. He didn't want to see them again, not from that day. But the flashbacks remained and were it not for Ruby being in his presence he would have already been banging his head against the wall to erase the memories. No matter what, his mistakes and faults would remain with him forever.

"Why do you assume I agree with you?" he questioned through gritted teeth.

Ruby turned back astonished by his tone. "Why wouldn't you agree? You're the most logical choice and I am not just saying that." Her eyes narrowed. "You're no amateur… I can tell you have experience in lead-"

"Little Red." Adam cut in hastily trying to control the shakiness in his voice. "First, best you not swim in murky waters because you don't know what's down there. Second, do not think I will simply agree with you." His voice was stern now. "There was a reason why Ozpin chose you instead of me; a reason that I accept."

Ruby could sense she was crossing into dangerous waters. "How can you blindly accept it?" She asked. "I thought you would see this as clearly as I-!"

"Who said it was blindly?" Adam interrupted, now calmer.

It was Ruby's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "What?"

Adam remained silent for a moment, thinking his next words carefully. Finally, he said, "Just because someone seems better, doesn't make them the right choice." He frowned and turned his head away. "Especially if you don't know their past, or the mistakes they made. Mistakes that will take a lifetime to redeem."

He whispered the last part, but Ruby still managed to hear it and her thoughts flashed back to the headmaster's words again. ' _Mistakes…'_ She frowned and lowered her head. She had already made plenty of them too and didn't want to make anymore, especially with the lives of others.

"I never asked to be a leader." Ruby whispered.

The horned Faunus shook his head. "Sometimes you don't get a choice, believe me I understand. But know this," Adam sadly smiled to himself. "In the face of disaster… a true leader leads by example, whether they intend to or not."

Ruby glanced up to him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid I can't say." Adam replied and approached Ruby, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You'll have to find the answer yourself."

Ruby wanted to argue but nodded in disappointment. Despite all her efforts nothing changed, she was still team leader. Though her anger and frustration subsided, her anxiety never ceased to affect her. Her fists shook and Adam noted this and gently squeezed her shoulder, then loosened up as she glanced at him.

"Whether or not you have the potential is for you, and you alone, to find out. It's too soon to sell yourself short on what's to come. For now, don't overthink it, just accept your role and see how things go."

He slowly pulled his hand away and a long silence settled between them. Ruby pondered. Between Adam and the headmaster, both had vague and confusing methods in giving advice. However, it gave her a strange familiarity of her master which was a comforting feeling.

For Adam, Ruby reminded him of his sister when she was younger and more innocent. She barely experienced a happy life before it was taken from her. And that young, cheery girl became corrupted with anxiety, fear, and anger. Something Adam will forever guilt over for allowing it to happen. _'Not this time.'_ He mentally said and patted Ruby on the head. _'I won't let another life get ruined because of me.'_

Though his secrets weigh heavily on his heart, for the first time in a while, Adam truly felt the change within him since leaving his old life. And the smile that he can now muster was only possible because of his sister.

And in the end, both members of RBTR looked at one another smiling, as the tension dispersed.

"By the way did you get our paperwork and keycards yet?" Adam asked which seemed to snap Ruby out of her thoughts and blush a minor shade of red. After everything that's happened so far, she forgot why she came to the tower as her alibi.

"No... not yet…" She said embarrassed, and lowered her hood over her eyes. "It honestly escaped my memory." She admitted while muttering an apology to him. Adam just lightly scratched the back of his head.

"It's alright. Though it would be difficult to explain to Ren and Blake why you came back empty handed."

"About that..." Adam quirked an eyebrow as Ruby tilted her hood up. "Can I ask that you keep this from them… what I did… or tried to do…" Her head lowered. "I'd rather they not learn of how… childish I acted."

Adam smirked as he nodded. "Don't worry, if there's anything I'm good at, its secrecy. Though you should go and get it over with."

Ruby nodded. "Would you accompany me?"

Adam shrugged. "Sure. Now let's go before they decide to look for us. My sister's patience can only go so far." He can already imagine Blake's angered reaction when he and Ruby return after a long time waiting.

"Alright let's go." And with that, Ruby started for the west elevator with the bull Faunus following right behind her.

It only took a few steps for the two to finally reach and enter the elevator. As soon as the door closed, like the southern hoister, the sensors picked up their movements and the elevator's A.I. kicked in to greet them as the monitor flashed.

" _Welcome to the CCT's west elevator!"_ Though also feminine, the accent was different from its southern counterpart. _"How may I help you?"_

Ruby turned to monitor as Adam stared at the floor indicators. "Hello…" She said, "we would like to head to the administration floor… please."

" _Understood! Please place your scroll on the terminal scanner to verify your identification."_ Like before, she took out and held her scroll next to the terminal.

" _Authorization granted!"_ The voice immediately said. _"Thank you, Miss Rose. Have a nice day!"_

The elevator started up and it didn't even take a minute for them to reach the second floor. When the doors opened the two stepped out and noticed they were standing in a small hallway with a single see-through glass door revealing another room.

Following their instincts, they slowly entered and were met with a large plaque hanging on a wall in front of them. "A directory." Adam muttered, and after a few glances they browsed the room numbers and departments labeled. It didn't take long for Ruby to find for the one they needed. "Here it is." She pointed. "Administration Department, room 239."

Adam nodded and looked around. Aside from what could be called the main hall, there were two other hallways, one on either side, both longer and slightly larger. He glanced at the first door on the left. "This is room 201."

Ruby nodded and moved to the right hall. "Room 261. Let's try going left."

In agreement, the two navigated through the left hall glancing at each door they passed. They were organized in numerical order with only odd numbers which made tracking the room easier. But when they reached the end of the hall, the last door was 223 until they turned a corner into a new hallway much longer than the other two. They continued until finally standing in front of the door labeled 239.

They nodded to each other, and entered inside. In front of them was a large queuing area, much like one would see in an airport, and a teller line with seven available windows divided by a single glass frame with a speaker and hole gap like at a bank. While each frame had a computer and other supplies there was no receptionist at all.

' _Empty?'_ Ruby and Adam thought and then Adam noticed something. A small silver bell next to the center window box with a sign saying, _"Ring for Service."_

"Well, might as well call for someone." Adam suggested pointing to the bell and walked over with Ruby following along.

After pressing it a few times, they immediately heard movement behind the scenes where a woman with short black hair and glasses wearing the female black and white business suit approached. "Good morrow and welcome to our beloved Administration Office." She said with a slight bow behind the window frame. "How may I serve you?" The lady smiled, her tone was gentle yet professional.

The lady felt odd to Ruby but she respectfully bowed as well with Adam nodding to her. "Hello..." She muttered. "We… we have come to collect our team's paperwork."

"Of course!" She beamed while typing on the computer quickly. "Are you both team leaders?"

Ruby winced and was about to speak until Adam replied. "No, she's my team's leader. I'm just here along for the ride."

Ruby turned to Adam and glared at him as he merely smirked at her.

"I see..." The receptionist fixed her glasses as she then proceeded when both turned back to her. "Well since you are the leader, can you please answer your name, team name, and grade please?"

The red hooded girl nodded. "My name is… Ruby Rose… leader of… Team RBTR… a first-year team." The receptionist picked up on cold and distant she sounded but ignored it.

"Thank you, Miss Rose!" She chirped and entered the information where a new screen popped up. "Now your team consists of one... Ruby Rose... Blake Belladonna… Adam Taurus… and Lie Ren correct?"

Ruby nodded and the receptionist smiled "Very good just hold on one second please!" She said as she typed a few more keys in. After a few seconds a bell sound was heard in the computer and the woman nodded in satisfaction. "Alright! Everything's all set! As of today, team RBTR is officially registered and acknowledged as hunters in training under Beacon Academy! Congratulations!"

Ruby bowed again as Adam nodded once more, neither showing any slight reaction on their faces still. _'Hmm… tough crowd. Usually first years are more chipper than this. How woeful.'_ The receptionist thought. "If you would hold on for a second, I will gather your essential documents and key cards."

"Understood." Replied Ruby and the woman left to the back room. When she returned they hadn't moved at all except for the occasional blinking which made the receptionist wonder if they were living mannequins. Regardless, she handed Ruby four sealed portfolios through the hole of her frame.

"Here are your folders, one for each of your teammates." Ruby took them and handed them over to Adam. "Inside includes two key cards, per person, for your dorm room, a copy of Beacon Academy's handbook on rules and regulations, and several sheets for completing your class schedules. I must advise that it is imperative that you hand those in right away before day's end."

"What about our uniforms?" Adam asked.

"There is a sheet that asks you to fill out your measurements. Once done, your school uniforms will be delivered along with your completed schedules tonight. I do urge you to complete them right away! Wouldn't want to be expelled on your first day, right?" She laughed. "One more thing, please be sure to take care of your key cards. Do not lose or break them and if any issues arise, please notify the guards or advisors right away."

Both RBTR members nodded and the receptionist smiled. "Great, and that is all you need to know for now. If there are any questions regarding anything else, please do not hesitate to call for help."

"Understood, thank you… and… have a nice day..." Ruby bowed then she turned to leave with Adam nodding a final time and following her out.

The receptionist waved goodbye and when the door closed her smile saddened, dropping her act. She then removed the wig letting her long whitish purple hair flow down as her arm dropped. "May the gods grant you a generous day… children..." She whispered and her body began glowing in a golden dusk colored flame that surrounded her until she vanished a split second later.

Just as she disappeared, the sound of a toilet flushing erupted followed by a door opening where another lady came in with minor sweat on her face. "Hey, thank you for watching the front for me, I didn't think I could hold it any lon-" The lady looked around to see no one there. "ger?... where did she…." She stood dumbfounded looking around the empty room. "Weird."

With their objective complete, the red duo returned to the elevator satisfied.

"That seemed better than expected." Ruby muttered and Adam nodded in agreement as he tucked the folders under his arms.

"At least we're done now." He replied. "We kept Blake and Ren waiting for too long." He wondered if they finished eating yet. No doubt Blake ate more than Ren. She was much like him and always devoured a hefty meal. Then again, it was that like with most people, especially those in the dine- his eyes widened as he remembered something.

"Little Red." He called. "How long have we been here?"

Ruby turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "How long?"

"Just give me an estimation since you first entered the building."

Ruby placed a hand under her chin and pondered. "I would estimate forty to forty-five minutes." she said and the elevator door suddenly dinged at its arrival.

When Adam didn't reply she shrugged as she took a step closer to the door. And when it was about to open Adam suddenly grabbed Ruby by the hood and pulled her to the side.

Ruby, now mildly surprised, glanced to Adam as he kept an arm firmly in front of her, preventing her movement. "What are you-"

"Watch." was all he said as the door popped open.

Within seconds, more than a dozen students poured out of the elevator, all scattering into the hall like rodents. Ruby's eyes widened with shock for a second as she pulled herself further into the wall if it were possible.

They were all first years she realized. Seeing them pushing, screaming, and shoving to hover over the directory was just beyond surreal. And when they spotted the Administration office's number, they scattered through both hallways trying to find it.

Everything returned to silence as Ruby exhaled a breath. Adam sighed as he glanced down at the elevator button his finger kept pressed down. "Let's go." He said and entered inside.

Ruby nodded and entered as well. "Thank you…Adam." She suddenly said. "I owe you one."

"We aren't out of this yet."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Before Adam could explain the A.I. voice perked up. _"Welcome to the CCT's west elevator! How may I-"_

"Main floor please." said Adam quickly.

" _Understood. Please-"_

"Here." Adam already held his scroll to the terminal.

" _Authorization granted, thank you Mr. Taurus. Have a nice day!"_ Like before, the elevator immediately moved and Adam turned to Ruby.

"There's no doubt we will be met by a mass of students when that door opens."

"Are you sure?" asked Ruby.

Adam grimaced. "Yes, they all finished their lunches roughly at the same and unfortunately, we took too long and are now surrounded."

Ruby frowned. The thought of being circled was not pleasing. "I'd rather avoid that. So, what's the plan?"

"Stick to the side and the moment there's enough space to get out, move as fast as you can out the sides of the elevator."

Ruby smirked. "Speed is my specialty." She said proudly.

"Good. Now get ready, we're slowing down." Adam warned.

After he said it, the elevator came to a complete stop and the red duo braced themselves. The door slowly started to open allowing Ruby a minor glimpse of the masses yelling and shoving on the other side. Then when the doors accelerated open, Adam called out to go now.

Ruby did and, with her semblance, burst through, like a bullet, through the horde. Her eyes widened when seeing it wasn't just the elevator crowded, but the whole base floor swarmed with students.

She sped around dodging countless people until she finally made it to the entrance where Adam had already been waiting. "Took you long enough." He commented and motioned for her to follow. "You ok?" he asked walking outside and down the stone steps.

Ruby followed behind and pulled her hood down, letting the cool autumn winds refresh her. "I'm fine. I just... really hate people." She muttered.

Adam turned and patted Ruby's head. "I know what you mean. At least it's over." He mentioned, and pulled out his scroll, checking the messages he missed.

" _We returned the trays back to the dining hall. Heading back to the tree. - B."_

" _We're still waiting on you. - B."_

" _Ren asks if you require assistance in the toilet. - B."_

" _We just saw a horde of first years heading to the CCT tower. Also, Ruby isn't responding to our messages. - B."_

Adam shook his head with amusement. "Let's get back to the others."

Ruby nodded and sighed. "You're right, best not keep them waiting any further." Without realizing it, she now took the lead causing Adam to secretly smile as he followed behind.

It didn't take long for the duo to return. But even from a distance they could see that Ren and Blake were nowhere to be found; at least not until they looked up. There, the two were sitting on the highest branch of the tree with Blake reading a book and Ren meditating.

"You both seem rather comfortable." Adam called as Ren and Blake simultaneously looked down to them.

"We may as well have seeing how long you took." Blake retorted and jumped down.

"She isn't wrong." Ren added and jumped as well but twirled when he landed. "You took far longer than expected and have ignored Blake's messages."

Adam shrugged. "I have an explanation for that."

"And what might that be?" Blake asked with suspicion.

Adam rubbed the back of his head. "The answer is simple. Instead of going back I went to check up on Little Red."

All eyes now turned to Ruby who felt uncomfortable by the stares. "It… wasn't necessary, but it was welcomed." Despite hiding the truth, she would not deny the support he's been the whole time. It was a strange kindness she rarely received.

"Does that mean you succeeded?" asked Ren. Ruby nodded and turned to Adam who presented the small stack of folders among the group.

"You know a large flock of first years headed to the CCT tower before you arrived." Blake commented.

"We know." muttered both Ruby and Adam boy annoyed. Blake heard it and could see the displeasure on their faces, letting the topic slide.

One by one, Adam read the names and handed each member their respected portfolio. Blake dug through hers and pulled out the student handbook, quickly scan through it. Ren carefully shifted his fingers around and pulled out a small black card made of plastic with a silver stripe. It's surface gleamed from the sun allowing Ren to notice very dark numbers inscribed on it, _415._

"What is this?" he asked, examining the card closely.

"That is your key card for unlocking our dorm room." Adam explained. "And the number written on it is the room it's assigned to. It's activated by the chip inside to connect with whatever locking mechanism it's programmed to open. If both have the same codes, the door will unlock. Also, we're given two for precautionary reasons so it is important to not lose or break them."

"Fascinating." Ren admired holding his card in the air. "How do you know so much about these?"

Adam stiffened at the question. Trying to mask his hesitation. "Well… because-"

"Because we used them before." Blake answered a little too quickly. She remembered countless times she and Adam had to hack and bypass them in the past. Was it even a skill she needed now? She did not know. It only brought harm and pain to those she went after, and she very much regretted those memories. "Anyways the rules seem pretty basic." She continued and turned to Ruby. "What else did the advisor tell you?"

The red hooded girl lowered her folder and shrugged. "Aside from the keycards and rule books, some things that need to be filled out today." she explained .

"What of our schedules?" Ren asked.

"They will be delivered tonight as long as we hand in our paper work before the day ends. Same goes for our uniforms."

"Perhaps we should fill them out now then to avoid any mishap." Blake suggested.

Adam nodded. "I recommend we fill them out in our dorm. At least it'll give us a chance to inspect it as well killing two birds with one stone."

"Agree." Ruby muttered. "We already know our dorm number, we just need to find the freshmen dormitory."

"It's southeast of the CCT tower, behind the dining hall and near the gymnasium." Ren said. All eyes turned to him as he pointed down at his handbook. "There's a map in here."

"Then we'd best head there now." Adam suggested

"Follow me then." Ren said and took point. Everyone nodded and followed along silently.

While the campus was enormous, it was also open. Through shortcuts and crossings, they passed the dining hall quickly. Through the windows, they could see it was empty now, except for the staff inside cleaning up. Ruby frowned when seeing all the countless empty plates and cups being collected from the long tables. _'People who can't clean up after themselves are savages.'_ Then another thought crossed her mind. ' _If a food fight ever broke out here, it would be hell for the custodians to clean up.'_

"We're almost there." Ren announced, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. In the distance she could see the tops of several buildings hidden behind a few lines of trees in front of them. Instead of looking around for the path to follow, team RBTR continued through the trees and bushes with little problem. When they were on the other side they could see the buildings much clearer now.

There were four of them in total each shaped and designed differently but fundamentally all large and wide. Each building had four floors, some gabled roofs, other flat, and many windows on all faces.

"Which building is ours?" Asked Adam. Ren looked down at the map again. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw something on the book but shook his head. "It's the one on the far left." He said and pointed ahead. "This way."

As they continued walking the team took notice of the scenery around them. Shallow pool-like waterway fountains happily splashing, several sprinklers showering flower gardens, and the fine grass along the cemented sidewalks and steps of the dorm.

"Here it is." Ren announced and all four read the sign next to the door: _"First Year Residential Dormitory."_

Ruby glanced around to see no one. She wondered if her team was the very first to arrive; at least for the first-year class. Glancing up the building Ruby realized that starting now, this dorm will be her first home away from home, at least building wise. The forest will always be her home no matter where she went but this was a first.

The thought of living in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by people she knew not of, or just people in general, made her nervous. She must have shown it to because Adam suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded. Though no words were exchanged she nodded back, knowing what he meant and felt more relaxed now.

"Alright let's get on with this." She said and began up the steps with Ren, Blake, and Adam all following in line. The automatic door sensed their movement around the final step and quickly opened letting the team inside.

When they entered, they realized the main lobby looked more like a hotel than an actual dorm. While the outside looked standard and minorly bleak, the walls, furniture, and lighting were somewhat classier inside. On the left wall near the door were several dozen mailboxes all listed in numerical order with a front desk and computer on the adjacent side but no one there. Next to the mailboxes was a directory index explaining other areas and public rooms within the dorm including several washrooms, lounges, and even a pool and weight room.

From what Ruby could tell there were two elevators, and three sets of staircases in total on the main floors, excluding the attic and basement the building had

The sudden sound of a door opening caused the team to turn around to the front desk where a woman came out with a cup of coffee. She was startled for a second seeing four black clad wearing teens with emotionless faces but quickly offered a smile.

"Hello… children." She said in a soft, professional manner. She looked to be in her mid-twenties with a wrinkleless face and clear skin. "I am the first-year dorm advisor. You may call me Sheila." Ruby and Ren politely bowed while Blake and Adam nodded to her. She smiled, glancing at each of them. "So how may I help you?"

"Hello ma'am. We've come to inspect our room. We're first years." replied Ruby. The dorm advisor nodded and quickly took a seat in her chair taking quick peeks at the others.

"Alright then. Have you already visited our administration department?" she asked.

Ruby nodded.

"Wonderful! Could you please hand me your key card?" Ruby quickly dug through her folder and pulled it out, giving it to her. The advisor gracefully took it and swiped the card on the side of her computer. "Team RBTR?"

Ruby nodded again.

"Excellent, your room is number 415 on the fourth floor. You can take the elevators down the hall or use one of our stair cases."

"Thank you… ma'am." She took her card back and quickly bowed. "Have a nice day."

"You too children!" The others nodded to her and the advisor smiled as they walked off. When they were further down the hall she quickly stood over her desk glancing at them, specifically Ren and Adam. "Mm mm mm Asian and Faunus boys~ how exotic." her eyes lowered seductively as she smirked. "What nice asses~ wait… what is wrong with me? Their minors! Oh gods…" She fanned herself and slumped back down on her chair. She tried to think of other thoughts but her tension got the best of her as she sighed and caved in.

"Well…it doesn't hurt looking some more." She muttered and quickly typed on her computer. After a few seconds, four images flashed on her screen. "Team RBTR… lead by blah, blah, blah… huh 16 years old, you go girl. Ok~... hmmm... Lie Ren huh… what a cutie…" She continued scrolling down. "Eh the girl's bow is pretty stylish I guess… but this guy… hubba hubba…" She blushed happily then stood up abruptly. "HE'S 18!" She shouted then smirked. "Maybe this year will provide better than last year."

When the elevator arrived and the group exited, it took longer than necessary to find their dorm. The single long hallway was conjoined by three smaller halls that spread out along the right side. And after searching each hall, their dorm was in fact the very last one in the rear intersecting hall, next to the corner.

While annoyance should have been what Ruby felt from unnecessary searching, she was instead pleased to see her dorm being as far away as possible from others. The others seemed contempt with this as they all stared at the dark brown door. It was basic, nothing fancy, with a small gold knob and a thin black scanner on the wall next to it.

"Alright. Let's go inside." Ruby said and was about to swipe her keycard until she saw Ren, card in hand, do it instead.

"Allow me." He said opening the door. "Our new lives begin." He said and earned amused smiles from the others.

They entered the room one at a time with Ren entering last. He slowly closed the door behind them and though the light from outside offered some view, Ruby flipped the light switch on to extend the brightness revealing their living quarters.

The first thing they noticed were their bags and cases, including the backpacks, already inside and huddled together on the floor. Ignoring them for now, they marveled at how spacious their room was and examined the furniture layout before them.

Four twin sized beds were spread out by two on either side of the room. They were nothing extravagant with basic wooden frames, red blankets and white bed sheets. The middle space was wide enough to show the large arched window in the center of the back wall. Underneath it was a long, polished wooden two-shelf bookcase.

Behind them near the entrance, on the left and right side, were simple wooden desks with two pairs of wooden chairs. Above each desk were three small lined shelves attached to the grayish colored walls; below were red and bronze oriented carpet.

"It's… certainly roomy." Adam admitted as he leaned on one of the desks. "Though I'm not sure how I feel on the colors… or the furniture for that matter."

Everyone nodded. Ren shifted uncomfortably as he sat on the bright colored bed. "I would say it's too… silvery for me."

"Agreed." Ruby muttered. "It's… unsatisfying and distasteful."

"It's bland." Blake said and shook her head disapprovingly. They all agreed and felt they could offer it more to their liking.

After a few minutes the group continued inspecting the room from the shelves, the view outside and even the walk-in closet Blake found on the far left hand corner. It separated into two sections symmetrically with two horizontal poles on either side for hangers and folders, including two long shoe racks at the bottom.

Next to the closet, they found another door being for their restroom. It wasn't as spacious as the closet, but decent nonetheless with the toilet closest to the door followed by the marble table sink and mirror, and lastly the large shower behind a white glass, sliding door.

After what they believed to be everything, Ren spotted another door on the far-right hand side of the room. There was no knob like the others but a sliding door which he thought was peculiar. And when he opened it, all were surprised to see a small kitchen based area in their room.

The space itself allowed for a decent sized kitchen cabinet with a small sink and a silver empty side-by-side refrigerator. The cabinets had long counters with many compartments and drawers to hold silverware, cooking utensils and plates inside. And near the lower corner of the wall was a dishwashing machine with a marbles cover table in the center of the room.

After checking out every part of the room, everyone felt satisfied with the basic and classic essentials along with a few majors to aid their need for an entire year or so. However, there was one problem they discussed in their bedroom.

"The colors are still horrible." Adam muttered.

Ruby nodded and an idea popped in her head. "Perhaps… we should renovate our new home."

Ren turned to Ruby surprised. "What do you mean? This room was untouched and is in excellent order."

Ruby shook her head. "I did not mean in the sense of repair, I meant it in the sense of style."

Blake and Adam glanced at one another before the bow wearing girl said, "Can you elaborate?"

"You said it yourself. The room is too bland, the furniture is style, and it does not feel at all satisfying to us." Adam shrugged. She had a point.

"So what do you suggest?" he asked, causing Ruby to smirk as she broke down her ideas. "Here is what I think." They all listened intently, nodding, and shrugging to everything she mentioned.

She was very detailed and organized. And while answering some questions, Ren, Blake, and Adam got more vocal with adding their own ideas which collaborated well. In no time, team RBTR began planning and Ruby concluded with, "So are you in?"

Ren, Blake, and Adam all turned to one another. Then, in unison, said "we're in."

Ruby smiled a little. "Good. Now first let's fill out our papers." She turned back to one of the desks with the folders on it. "After we turn them in, we head to the docking bay and begin our plan. Classes start tomorrow so we should complete part one today and part two later."

"Sounds easy enough." Blake muttered and crossed her arms.

Ruby nodded as she gathered all the folders and distributed them. "Get a pencil and fill them in."

Nodding, everyone took a seat at one of the two tables except for Ren, who voluntarily got four mechanical pencils from his duffle bag. After handing them out he sat down as well and they all began filling them in. They were simpler than Ruby thought, one was a small packet presenting a long list of classes ranging in all subjects and topics. The other was a double sided single sheet to fill in the blanks on their sizes for their uniforms. They began with the packet.

' _So we can choose two classes in total from any of this list?'_ Ruby nodded to herself. _'Simpler than I imagined but difficult too.'_ She glanced at the others. Ren was the first to complete his as he flipped his packet over. Adam was still pondering, rubbing his chin as Blake just began filling hers in. As for herself, Ruby found difficulty in choosing just two. After rereading the packet twice, she found several classes she would like to take. Perhaps in the future semesters, but for now she chose the two she would want the most. Following, Adam finished his as well.

With the packet out of the way, the easier part was the fill in sheet. It asked the basic sizes for the torso, forearms, shoulders, waist, legs, and shoes. It only took several minutes to fill them all in.

"Is everyone done?" Ruby asked.

"I am." Blake said.

"Aye." Adam nodded.

"Yes." replied Ren.

Ruby nodded and collected their sheets. "Alright we're ready to go then."

"Shouldn't we unpack first?" Ren asked turning to their cases and bags.

"There's no hurry." Ruby shrugged. "Once we gather our materials, we can organize and unpack everything at once. It'll save us time and trouble."

"Fair point." Replied Ren.

"Anything else?" Ruby turned to the others. No one said anything.

"Alright let's go."

After leaving their dorm and taking the stairs instead of the elevator, team RBTR neared the front desk to find the dorm advisor, Sheila muttering to herself as she typed away on the keyboard. She didn't even notice them when they neared her desk. She was far deep in whatever she was doing; her face red, forehead slightly sweaty, and heavy breathing with a wide grin on her face.

Ruby turned to her team who shrugged at the sight before she cleared her throat loud enough to be heard. "Excuse me."

Sheila jumped in surprise, quickly looking up to see the four kids again, and her cheeks only reddened worse when seeing the two boys in the back. She mentally swore to herself as she clicked off her, _"online magazine"_ and quickly fixed herself up with a smile.

"H-hello children… I'm sorry I was ah… well anyway how can I help you?"

Ruby ignored her hesitation and slowly extended her team's folders. "We completed our check lists for our uniforms and schedules. Are we to hand them in to you?"

The advisor quickly nodded and took them. "Yes, your dorm advisor is one of the options to hand your documents in today."

"Excellent. Thank you for your assistance." Ruby nodded and motioned for her team to follow. They each offer her a nod but she only stared at the two boys a little longer after they exited the building

"Ugh." She sighed, slouching in her chair. "Why must you tempt me gods!"

As team RBTR exited out of the building they noticed there were several groups of students now approaching the building. Ruby remembered the horde of first years popping out of the elevator and shuddered at the thought of them all rushing the dorm. Thankfully the large masses did not appear anywhere.

But as they walked, they could see why. There were still a large amount of first years still hanging around the CCT tower talking to each other about the folders and what they are supposed to do next. Some were filling their papers on the spot outside the tower while others were still waiting to get their documents and such. They even saw team PMMA amongst them from the distance, trying to finish their papers before heading back in.

Ruby wondered if they even knew the dorm advisor was an option, she was tempted to inform them but that meant having to be surrounded by people and decided against it. She considered herself lucky, otherwise she would have been like all of them and that wasn't a pleasant thought.

They now neared the air docks. The sun was still high in the air and the cool autumn winds still flowed heavily, especially so close to the cliffside.

"That was easier than expected." Adam muttered. Ren nodded in agreement and turned to Blake to see her rubbing her arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Blake nodded. "Just minorly cold."

"Do you want my jacket?"

Blake smiled and shook her head. "I'm not that cold but… thank you." He nodded in understanding and smiled as well.

The group was now nearing the docking bays until Ren realized something and suddenly stopped. "Everyone… please wait a minute." He asked.

Ruby, Blake, and Adam all did and turned to Ren. "If it is possible…and with your permission... would you kindly allow me to explore city to familiarize myself?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You don't know your way around the city?"

Ren shook his head. "Vale is the first city I've ever been to. I grew up in a small village my whole life before…." His voice trailed off. "Anyways… I've only been to a few parts for my temporary stay. I never actually had the chance to explore the rest of the city."

"Well you're not alone in that department." Blake said. "Adam and I aren't local but be we do have some history with visiting cities, one of them being Vale."

Ruby nodded and took a step closer to Ren and stared at him. "So you're asking to look around while we get the supplies for our room?"

"Yes." Ren said as he nodded. "I never got the chance before coming here. I had to prepare myself for the enrollment into the academy."

Ruby ponder this for a moment then turned to Adam. The faunus boy nodded as did Blake. "Alright…" Ruby answered. "Though I prefer you not going alone. So I think it's best if we split up with our partners instead of going individually. It would get the job done much quicker and no one would get lost along the way."

Ren seemed to brighten up as the others nodded in agreement to her suggestion. "Thank you."

Ruby nodded and with that the discussion settled. They resumed walking again and now made it to the docking bays, heading up the ramp. There was only one ship active now as after the guards scanned their student ID cards, they let them go through.

" _We will be departing to Vale city momentarily. All passengers, please step away from the doors and prepare for launch."_ The pilot announced as RBTR walked up the ship's ramp. Before they could take their seats, however, a voice shouted to them, specifically to Ruby.

"BABY SISTER!" Ruby froze. "WAIT FOR US!"

Now all four of them froze when hearing that familiar voice.

' _Oh no...'_ They all thought.

They turned around and saw Yang running in the distance towards them followed by the rest of her team. Though now it was a race between Yang and Weiss to see who would get their first.

Ruby sighed as she raised her hood up. _'By the lunar goddess please don't let them on! I have no time to deal with them...'_

The two girls were neck and neck until Nora jumped over them and waved madly.

"REN! ~" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Ren smiled a little embarrassed and couldn't help but shake his head slightly in amusement for his friend. Of course, he waved back which didn't sit well with Weiss.

Feeling some minor jealously the heiress sprinted in front of Nora, blocking both her and Ren's view of each other, only leaving Weiss.

"Ren how are you!" She waved and Ren smiled awkwardly, almost waving back until Yang interrupted Weiss and got in front of her trying to gain their attention.

"WAIT FOR ME BOYS MOMMA'S COMING~!"

Ren felt a cold shiver go down his spine as Yang winked at him. Without thinking, he took a step behind Ruby. Blake rolled her eyes.

"DON'T THINK I FORGOT YOU MY ADORABLE FEISTY! ~" Blake now glared at the blonde before turning her head away and crossing her arms. Adam just plain out ignored her as he leaned against the wall of the ship. Neo saw this and stared at his nonchalant figure as a smile formed on her lips.

Team WYVN was now neck in neck near the ship and were close to the ramp until two guards sprinted out in front of them.

"Please step away from the area ladies, the airship is about to take off." said the first guard.

"But we have to board that ship, now!" Yang pleaded. "My sister and her team are on board that airship! PLEASE~!" She begged. But the guards held their ground.

"Sorry but we can't stop it from taking off now and we can't disrupt the scheduling order." Insisted the second guard.

"Well we have an important schedule too. So please let us through." This time Weiss spoke and her professional tone came out as she tried walking passed them. However, it only resulted in her and Yang being pushed back gently.

"Again, we're sorry but you'll have to wait for the next one that's coming in tweny minutes after this ship leaves." Said the first guard.

"Are you sure there isn't ANY way to change your minds?" Yang asked and slightly leaned closer to the second guard. She lowered herself to expose her cleavage a bit as he winked at him.

The guard merely looked at her and then smirked. "Nice try but I don't swing that way honey."

Yang's eyes widened. "Oh…" _'Damn a gay guard, a worthy foe!'_

"Sorry ladies," The first guard said. "now please back up the ship is leaving."

To team WYVN's dismay, the doors had long since closed and the airship was now lifting off. Though Weiss did want to leave early in getting her supplies for her classes, it would have been a high bonus to be in the same airship with Ren… and Ruby but no one must know that. In Yang's mind, she was screaming _'NO~ MY LOVELIES! DON'T LEAVING ME!'_

"BYE REN! BYE GUYS, SEE YOU LATER~!" Nora shouted just jumping and waving to the airship with Neo just waving her hand up to them while holding up a sign that said _"BYE~! HAPPY LANDING!"_

Though team WVYN failed to reach the ship, inside, team RBTR silently relaxed and felt some relief in not having their peace disturbed any further.

" _To all passengers on board, we will be arriving to our destination, the city, in ten minutes. When we have landed, please be sure to have all your belongings with you before leaving and step away from the doors when it opens. We hope you have a pleasant afternoon riding with us!"_

As the announcement closed, Ruby, Ren, Blake, and Adam all turned to the window marveling at the sight of the water, forest, and mountains. Ruby felt a smile gazing at it all. Sometimes nature is the best place to be for a peaceful environment.

Then her thoughts saddened when remembering her mother again. She loved nature to death, perhaps a trait she picked up for herself. Through her vague memories she remembered walking through the forest with her a lot at night. Ruby's eyes saddened. Yesterday she prayed for her mother to watch out for her. Now she wishes to know how she's doing so far.

' _Mother… I'm doing good…. in your eyes…'_

In her pondering, Ruby didn't notice the looks she received from Ren, Blake, and Adam. They turned to one another, nodding, then approached their leader. One by one, they each placed a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned to them seeing they were smiling to her. For some reason, the sun brightened up the room a little a smile formed on her own face as well.

 **And thus, the fifthteenth chapter comes to an end. My Dark Readers, again I am sorry for my delay. I will do my best to post the next chapter as fast as possible, please. The main story continues.**

 **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT :)**


	19. RBTR's Halloween

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! OR MORE LIKE HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13** **TH** **!**

 **Authors Note: With that out of my system, hello my Dark Readers and welcome to "Derelicts in Black". Now this is not a chapter but more of a side short story in the spirit of HALLOWEEN! The reason I'm reposting this up again is because 1. Its Friday the 13** **th** **, it only makes sense to do so and 2. I have a second Halloween Special coming the end of the month! :D. I'm sorry there isn't a real chapter but Halloween is my favorite holiday and October is my favorite month so I hope you understand!**

 **(Even if the enthusiasm has died down over the years :/) But it remains high for me!**

 **Well then that's all I had to say. This story may be a bit different from the other specials in terms of events but let's just say you all get a sneak peek into the future. So, get ready because it's time to begin the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story.**

Short Story: Happy Halloween

(One month after Beacon's initiation)

' _It's finally here.'_ Thought Ruby. The most wonderful time of the year has arrived. _'This is going to be grand.'_

She had been standing on the freshmen dormitory's roof for quite some time now, enjoying the cool wind rushing through her hair. She marveled at all the different colored trees around the dorms. It looked beautiful and she was glad the sun was setting. She hated the sun.

The night was her domain, her realm, and it was almost upon her. And making things better, there will be a full moon tonight. A perfect fitting for the night of Halloween.

Though Ruby was a girl with little emotion, today they were swelling with happiness over her favorite holiday arriving. She loved everything down to the core; from its origins, traditions, and aesthetics to its legends and superstition.

As a kid, she enjoyed reading books on the holiday and learning all kinds of stories about the unknown and macaw. Her mother was the reason for that, it was her favorite holiday too.

Ruby smiled sadly but pushed the thoughts away. She shouldn't think woe on this day. Instead, she thought of the superstition and terror coming together when their boundaries are at their weakest on all; Hallows Eve.

Ruby shivered happily. _'This is going to be delightful.'_

Especially with what she had planned.

After a few minutes pondering, Ruby decided it was best to leave the rooftop and head back her dorm. Scanning the key card, she heard the satisfying _click_ and entered. No one was inside.

She then glanced at the clock, it was four in the afternoon. The others were still resuming their objectives and if all goes well, their plan will take place a few hours from now.

With some time on her hands, Ruby walked over to several large bookcases her team bought a while ago and picked out the last book of her Grimm Reaper series. She was finally so close to completing it and eagerly took the book to her bed.

With quick fingers, she climbed up and flipped to the last page she bookmarked and began reading.

A couple hours have passed as Ruby had still not taken her eyes off the pages. She was far too deep into the story.

"Lux… can you answer something truthfully?" Desirae asked. Her nervousness started to return as she quickly resisted the urge to shake.

" _Of course," Lux replied, with the gentleness of tones. "What troubles you?"_

 _Inhaling a deep breath, the young raven-haired girl locked eyes with Lux. "You once said… a reaper's life revolves around reaping the creatura and preserving a balance to the world, right?"_

 _The golden-haired boy slowly nodded. He remembers saying that around the time he met Desirae and her brother. His eyes immediately fell to the ground when remembering that. It was a long time ago._

" _Then…" continued Desirae, "Does that mean that you… and the others, expect to… to…" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. Her throat felt as if it was being strangled and she went mute._

" _Die in battle?" Lux suddenly guessed as he glanced back up at her._

 _Releasing a breath, she didn't recount holding, Desirae nodded. Lux smiled sadly and turned towards the vast ocean painted orange and red from the sunset._

There was a sudden closing sound that Ruby ignored.

 _The questioned lingered in the air for several seconds. He thought of a thousand ways he could have answered her. But they all sounded like a thousand lies, and excuses._

 _The question was heavy but not unfamiliar to him or the others. After all, being a reaper, death was always on your mind._

 _With a sharp exhale, Lux turned back to Desirae and she could see his bright yellow eyes glinted with sadness. "To answer you plain and simple… yes, I do. We most likely will too."_

"Hey."

 _Desirae's eyes slightly widened but quickly reverted to normal. She turned away, letting her hair fall over her eyes. She did not like the answer._

" _As reapers we are automatically alighted in a life of combat." Lux continued gently. He gripped the snath of his scythe and slowly caressed the curved blade._

 _"That is an unchangeable fate that we have come to accept. It's sort of like… destiny. And I know how much you hate destiny." Lux gave his best attempts at a cheeky grin._

 _But he can see from the frown on Desirae's lips that it would be fruitless to try and make her laugh now. He sighed and stared down at his reflection on the scythe's blade. Even he can see how saddened he looked._

 _So instead of pretending, he decided to just be honest. "Look Des… despite how it sounds… I do not believe this is a bad fate." He received a small reaction as his friend slightly turned. "The Messorian reapers were valued guardians who defended humanity for thousands of years. The Scythian reapers were the first generation to combat the creatura, and bring balance to order. Each generation before us, fought hard and gave the ultimate sacrifice with honor. It only makes sense that us, New reapers, should do the same."_

 _Lux smiled again, this time softly. He couldn't see Desirae's eyes and didn't know her reaction. He took a second to sigh and then turned back towards the ocean._

" _When the time comes for death to take us, we will face it head on. But not until this is all over. And do not worry, when this war finally ends, you and your brother will once again return to your mundane human lives. I know you two wanted that for so long. And I'm sorry for having you two involved in this." Lux sincerely meant what he said. "We never intended to drag you into our fight. So, rest assured, we are doing this for you and every other human-"_

" _You're wrong!" Desirae suddenly exclaimed and stood up._

 _Lux jumped, slightly startled and glanced at his raven-haired friend with widened eyes. She was towering over him with her original dark eyes turning blood red._

" _You think we can ever go back to normal?!" She screamed. "You think we can just… forget the things we've done?! Unsee the things we've seen?!" Her tone was rising higher and higher as she clenched her hands into fists. "Don't you dare say our lives will go back to normal, cause they never will!"_

"Ruby?"

 _Lux felt grief in hearing the pain in Desirae's voice. But he especially felt it when he saw tears forming around her eyes._

" _And you know what? I… I…" She choked back a sob. "I don't want them to!" She cried. "Before I met all of you, it was just my brother, Thorne and myself."_

 _She lowered her voice as her head hung low. "We didn't have many friends and we rarely went out to do normal teenage things. But since meeting all of you, it feels like I made friendships that will last an eternity. And although the adventures are dangerous, I smile. Though the possibility of death is high, I laugh. And although we don't know our fate when this war is over, I never want to leave you guys."_

 _Desirae started shaking and hugged her arms tightly. "For the first time in a long time, I finally know what it feels like to be a part of a wholesome family. And I know Mordecai feels the same way. So, whether you like it or not, Mordecai and I see you as our family. And we have one rule around that," She now locked her tear stained eyes with Lux's. "never abandon family!" She screamed._

"Little Red?!"

With a heavy and annoyed sigh, Ruby glanced up from her book and locked eyes with the one who interrupted her; Adam, who was currently poking her forehead.

"Didn't we establish a law about this?" She mused, swiping his hand away. Both then turned to the piece of paper they stuck on the wall.

 _#15: No bothering when reading._

Adam turned back to Ruby and shrugged. "Well, considering how I made the list; I declare: Overruled."

Ruby rolled her eyes with slight amusement. "Whatever." She smirked.

"By the way, when did you get back and why were you poking me?" she asked, closing her book.

"Just now. And I wanted to make sure you didn't lose track of time before our plan."

Ruby scoffed. "As if I would jeopardize a plan I came up with."

Adam smirked. "Whatever you say." He then briefly scanned the room in an alert manner and leaned closer to Ruby. "Blake just texted me. Everything is set in place."

The atmosphere became serious as Ruby nodded with narrowed eyes and placed her book on her night stand with the bookmark in place. "And Ren?"

"He got everything on his list and is coming back now."

"Perfect." Declared Ruby.

She walked passed Adam towards the window with the Faunus boy following. The two gazed down at all the students walking around the dorm grounds. Some were already in several Halloween costumes and chatting about with tons of laughter and smiles.

Ruby placed her arms behind her back and smiled sinisterly. "This is going to be… brutal."

Adam nodded and crossed his arms. "I can't wait. You are one wicked girl little red." He chuckled.

"I know." She agreed. "Halloween brings this out of me every year."

"You know if we get caught we could get expelled." Adam pointed out.

Ruby scoffed at that. "We won't. Not if we stay in the shadows and play our parts." She turned to Adam. "Have you been practicing?" she asked, he nodded.

"We all have. It's taking some getting used to but we have it for the most part. How did you discover it?"

"That remains a secret." Ruby taunted which annoyed the Faunus.

Before replying, a few beeps erupted from Adam's scroll.

"Blake and Ren are downstairs. They request that we go down to the main lobby and help with the stuff."

"Very well, come on Adam." Ruby beckoned and smiled. "Tonight, the children of the night shall play on this spiritual holiday."

With a nod, Adam followed his team leader out the door with a modicum of excitement.

A few hours later, the night was now upon Beacon Academy with the luminous beauty of the full moon already high in the sky.

Hundreds of students, all dressed in countless different costumes, were already mingling both inside and out the Academy. The headmaster had allowed the dining hall and ball room to be a place to social gather with sweets, decorations, and music to make a festive night.

However, for one group of hunters in training, their Halloween night wasn't on the school yards, but rather in the forest in search of a _"GREAT HALLOWEEN BALL"_ , one of them learned from a flyer under her door.

Already dressed in their costumes, Yang, a sexy police officer, led Weiss, dressed in an elegant white and blue dress that belonged to a princess in a movie, Jaune, a superhero, Pyrrha, dressed in a red witch outfit with a broomstick, Neo, a vampire, Nora, a pirate, and the Malachite sisters, Melanie and Miltiades both being a sexy devil and angel, in that order, with a large map in hand.

"Alright so we're here… so then it should be- no wait that's not right… wait yes, it is!"

Weiss was beyond irritated. It was one thing that Yang dragged her and the others out to find this so called, "Halloween Ball", but the idiot had been muttering to herself the entire time trying to find it.

It was entirely suspicious that she somehow came across this flyer under her door, especially if it was taking place in the forest! But Yang, being stubbornly confident, told her to, _"chill out"_ and _"to live a little"._

' _The nerve of that girl!'_ Weiss thought. She was more than capable of "living it up"! Perhaps it would have been enjoyable if Yang was able to get team RBTR to come. Weiss blushed. She didn't care too much for that Blake girl or the Faunus, but if Ren and Ruby were there...

She shook her head. It didn't matter. They were already gone when Yang broke into their room and couldn't find them anywhere. But because of that stunt, they got in major trouble when the dorm advisor saw them break in and had called security and some of the teachers for assistants. The girls were scolded and given extra homework by Professor Goodwitch while she fixed the door and the security pad was quickly repaired with a stronger lock.

So now she was wandering the forest with a girl with no sense of direction, besides herself, constantly stopping every five minutes!

"Are you sure you know where you're going Yang?" Weiss asked.

"Of course, I'm sure. I have a map don't I!" The blonde confidently replied. She had been saying that dozens of times now.

It started to annoy Weiss now. "That doesn't mean you know how to use it you dunce! Now give it here!"

"No way, it's my map!"

"I don't care, I said give it!"

Weiss lost her patience and lunged onto Yang in attempt to snatch the map away. However, as she reached around Yang turned and resisted the navigation tool farther away which caused the heiress' face to fall onto Yang's… bosoms.

"Never!" The blonde shouted and didn't even realize that she was being motorboated by the heiress's reddening face.

The situation was looking too bad, and hot, for Jaune to bear. He blushed furiously and looked away, trying to think of _"less naughty thoughts."_

Pyrrha tried helping and gave him a bottle of water to drink, but he ultimately just tossed the liquid onto his face to cool his fluster.

Neo didn't have a problem with the current " _predicament"_ and quickly took several pictures with her scroll. It would become great blackmail material in the future. _'Both of you will be my bitches.'_ She thought sinisterly.

Weiss was livid now when she pushed herself off Yang's chest.

"You… I…" She clenched her shaking fist. "I am going to destroy your chest!"

' _That's what he said,"_ Neo thought and gave herself a high five.

Yang had a look of terror and quickly covered her bosoms with both arms, "What did I do?!"

"You were born with those things, that's what!"

Taking some time to breath, Jaune quickly recovered and decided enough was enough. He jumped in between Yang and Weiss right before the snow angel was about to lunge.

"Come on guys, let's all calm down and try not to lose our heads." He softly proposed. He offered each girl a warm smile and hope his message got across.

But it only annoyed Weiss as she turned towards the blond boy insulted. "What are you trying to say scraggly? Are you suggesting that I cannot remain calm? Don't you tell me what I can and can't feel! You never tell a girl that you dunce, it only wiles us up even more!"

The more Weiss yelled, the more Jaune backed away which was useless in doing because Weiss kept closing the gap between them.

Noticing the fear in Jaune's eyes. Pyrrha sighed and slowly got in-between the two.

"Um… I'm sorry Weiss but I believe Jaune only implied that we should travel with ration and not allow the tension to get to us."

Weiss glanced at Pyrrha and couldn't believe an incredible, and beautiful, person such as herself, was defending… _him._

But, knowing better than to be argue with the famous Amazonian, Weiss crossed her arms and scoffed."Humph!"

Nora seemed to be ignoring the argument entirely and was too busy jumping around excitedly. "I can't wait to start getting all that delicious candy!" She giggled. "Bringing two big bags was a good idea Neo!"

The silent girl turned and proudly nodded to her partner as she held her own two giant bags tightly in her arms.

The Malachite twins stood at the back of the group, both with bored expressions on their faces. Melanie was getting annoyed with the constant delay of their mobility. If it wasn't the blonde bimbo stopping to rethink her steps, it was the heiress muttering nasty comments on Yang's sense of direction. It was always those two annoying simpletons.

Militia let out a sigh as she turned to her sister. "Are we even near this place yet?" She asked and shivered from a gust of wind. "Ugh! Its freezing out here."

"I don't know Militia. I just hope this party is worth it."

"Well it's always worth it when we show up right?"

Melanie smirked as she nodded. "You got that right. Hey blondie, can we hurry up already?!"

"Yeah! Standing in the middle of the woods is beyond creepy!" Militia added.

"What? I don't have the map!" Jaune retorted as he looked all around him. "At least I don't think so."

"Not you, you blond idiot, the OTHER Blonde idiot! The one with the giant FAT GLANDS on her chest!"

Yang, who smiled until this point turned directly towards Melanie. "Excuse me? What did you say?" she asked as her eyebrow and lip started twitching.

Knowing where this was heading, Pyrrha waved her hands awkwardly with a small smile. "Girls please let's just-"

"You heard me," Melanie responded then smirked. "or is that giant bush on your head clouding your hearing?!"

Yang narrowed her eyes. Making fun of her, self-proclaimed amazing, boobs was one thing, but no one, and she meant, NO ONE, made fun of her dew!

She was going to yell but then had a smug look on her face as she placed her hands on her hips. "Better than having all that make up on you dried up cougar!"

The Malachite twin stopped smirking and growled in anger. "You bitch!" She then grinned sinisterly. "At least my Darling Ren thinks I look better than you!"

Knowing that Ren was a sensitive topic among these girl's, Pyrrha tried to interject quickly.

"Girls please-"

"As if!" but she unfortunately failed again when Weiss now got involved. "I'll have you know Ren deserves someone with class, maturity, and, as unfortunate as it is for you two, he already thinks I am the prettiest."

The fact that the heiress was belittling Melanie had her visibly shaking with rage. "Stay out of this Schnee!"

Militia quickly grabbed her sister before she did something regrettable. "Chill out girl!"

"Yeah seriously," Yang agreed. "And stay the hell away from hot stuff! He's mine and Ruby's!"

"You both can't have him you perverted freak! That's incest!" replied the angered twin.

"Better than you and YOUR sister going for him!"

Militia turned to Yang offended and shocked. While she did think Ren was cute, she would never brake the girl code like that to her sister. Plus, there was Adam and… he knew how to play hard to get. "You better leave me out of this! I already have eyes on- wait... forget what I said!"

Nora suddenly jumped in-between everyone and giggled, "Actually, as Ren's best friend I already know what kind of girl he likes-"

"Stay out of this Nora!" Simultaneously screamed Yang, Weiss and Melanie.

At this point, the white wearing twin had enough. "You know what, let's settle this blondie!"

Yang grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Round two huh? Bring it! Just expect a repeat of last time!"

"Ooo a cat fight! Meow, right Neo?"

The silent girl nodded and had her scroll ready to record it.

'Guy's please!" Jaune begged. "Can't we just-"

"ENOUGH!"

Silence emerged. That voice sent a booming chill down everyone's spine. And all eyes turned to the red head who shouted it.

Pyrrha looked around awkwardly and covered her mouth. She looked just as shocked as everyone else did that there were even some tints of red on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry!" She squealed and hid her face.

This was a complete bewilderment, never had Pyrrha ever raised her voice before. No one even knew she could yell like that. It always was indeed the quiet ones.

"Let's... let's just get going." Yang muttered and everyone nodded with no complain.

"Hey guys! Was it always this foggy here?" Nora asked.

 _ **(Music Start: Michael Myers Theme)**_

Everyone looked around and noticed that Nora was right. It has gotten incredibly foggy.

"Does… this happen at night?" Yang asked as she glanced around.

"Who cares, it's creepy!" Melanie retorted and got closer to her sister. "Let's just keep going!"

The fog was thickening and everyone felt incredibly uncomfortable.

"Umm yeah.." Yang nervously chuckled. "Anyone know which way we were going?" She muttered with embarrassment.

Everyone stared at her with shock.

"WHAT?!"

"YOU WERE LEADING!"

"YOU STUPID BIMBO!"

"DUNCE!"

"OH MAN WE'RE LOST!"

Jaune's eyes darted back and forth and felt a little nervous. Then he heard something and turned to his left.

"Ah! What was that!" he screamed and fell to the floor.

"What was what?" Militia frantically asked.

"I saw something zip passed!"

"Stop joking like that you dunce!" Weiss screamed and instinctively grabbed Yang.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, we don't even have our weapons!" Jaune cried.

"L-look maybe it was nothing… it could have been the wind!" Pyrrha reasoned until she shrieked and jumped into Jaune's arms.

"What is it?!" Melanie screamed and clutched onto her sister for dear life.

"Something just brushed passed my leg!"

"Oh god, we're gonna die! I don't wanna die! I haven't even kissed a girl yet!" Jaune's legs felt wobbly.

"Shut up you dunce!" Weiss exclaimed. "Why don't you do something useful and go out there and divert whatever it is towards you!"

Jaune violently shook his head. "No way!"

"You're a man aren't you? So, get to it!" Replied the heiress.

"Why don't you do it princess?!" Militia challenged.

"Shut up!"

"Guys we have to do something!" Nora cried. "I haven't even gotten my candy yet!"

"Already on it!" Yang yelled as she distanced herself from the group.

"Hey! Don't leave us here to die you bitch!" Melanie screamed and followed in suit.

"Wait up Mel!"

"Every man for himself!"

"…"

"I refuse to be left behind!"

"Pyrrha you're really heavy! Can you please get off!"

The group started dashing blindly through the fog as they tried to catch up with Yang. But the fog was thickening worse than before and they couldn't even see her form anymore. But what they heard next paralyzed them.

"AHH!"

That was Yang's voice.

They stopped and stared at the direction she ran off too. The Malachite twins held each other shakily while Weiss and Pyrrha gripped each of Jaune's arms tightly. Neo and Nora were looking frantically around until they heard a snap that made everyone shriek. Then an item fell in front of them, Yang's police hat.

"Oh god Yang." Pyrrha muttered as Weiss gritted her teeth.

"That dunce…" she whispered with a hint of sadness, and closed her eyes.

"Oh my god Neo!" Nora called and grabbed her silent friend's shoulders. "They really do start off with the funny comedic ones!" Neo's eyes widened. That meant…

From out of the fog a black whip appeared and suddenly wrapped around Nora's leg as she pushed Neo away.

The orange haired girl shrieked in terror causing everyone to turn and watch with fear as the whipped tugged her to the ground and started dragging her away.

"No! Why do I have to be the second one dead! Can't I at least be in the final three?!" Nora cried as she was dragged further away. She closed her eyes but opened them immediately when she felt her arms being pulled back.

It was Neo who desperately tried pulling back.

"Neo save yourself!" Nora cried. "The captain always goes down with the ship!"

Shaking her head furiously, Neo pulled harder but she didn't have enough strength in her tiny figure. The heels she wore couldn't hold a grip on the dirt either, no matter how hard she sunk them in. But she didn't give up. She tried her hardest to save her friend until she saw Nora smile softly.

"Neo… it's ok! Just live on for me! Remember our dreams! Remember the candy kingdom!" With one final effort, Nora pulled her arms away causing Neo to fall.

The multi-color haired girl stared wide eyes as Nora's form was dragged far enough to be barely visible.

"I regret nothing! Wait, I take that back, tell Ren t- ahhhhh!"

Everyone jumped when they heard Nora's final scream before falling silent. Immediately after, they heard a thud fall behind them and looked down.

It was Nora's pirate hat.

Neo instantly grabbed it and cradled it in her arms. That was until she felt something wrap around her leg and was on the ground shortly after.

"Neo!" Jaune cried and tried to help her but was pulled back by Weiss.

"You can't help her now you dunce!"

"Screw this come on Mel! Every man for themselves!" Militia cried and dragged her twin away from the group and into the fog.

"What?! Mil we can't-"

"Shut up and come on!"

"You idiots come back!" Weiss begged.

But it was no use, they were gone and the heiress was going to shout until she was beaten to it.

"AAAHHHHHH"

"MEL! NO STOP- AHHHH!"

Pyrrha cupped her mouth as she tried to hold Jaune back from doing something stupid.

Neo, on the other hand, wasn't doing any better. She struggled and struggled but couldn't break free. She then reached around and pulled her notebook out and quickly flipped to an empty page. She jotted down, as fast as she could, whatever she wanted to write then felt a harder tug pull her away from the group as they now faded from sight. The last thing she saw was her note book before seeing nothing but black.

"No!" Jaune broke out of both girl's grasp and picked up the little notebook. He brushed some leaves off the page and quickly read what Neo worked so hard to write.

" _I thought the quiet ones survived killer movies! T-T! This suc~~~~~~~~"_

"Neo…" Jaune muttered and gripped her notebook tighter.

"Jaune get over here now!" Weiss screamed frantically.

"Yes, please Jaune hurry!" Pyrrha cried and extended a hand to try and grab Jaune but she squealed in fright as the dreaded black whip wrapped around her arm and started pulling.

"Release me!" Pyrrha squirmed hard but it seemed even with her strength the whip was stronger and easily able to pull up. Weiss tried to pull Pyrrha back down but was instantly knocked down by something. She screamed and frantically looked around. The Amazonian was already being lifted off the ground when Jaune rushed towards her.

"Pyrrha!" he jumped and grabbed a hold of her legs and dug the soles of his shoes into the dirt. "Weiss what are you waiting for? Help me!" He screamed in a state of panic.

Slightly in shock she shook her head and tried to stand up but that force came back and knocked her down again. "Something keeps knocking me down!" she cried. She didn't even realize that Pyrrha and Jaune were already gone from her sight. She looked all over and couldn't see them anywhere.

"J-Jaune?! Pyrrha?!" she called.

"NO DON'T- AHHHH!"

Weiss trembled at the sound of Jaune's scream. Her breathing intensified, her heart raced, she felt like throwing up, and didn't know what to do. Her team was gone; the others were gone, everyone was gone.

She wanted to scream, cry, huddle in a ball, anything. She had failed to keep those who relied on her alive. She failed to do anything except complain and shout. She let everyone die because of her weakness.

She twirled around when she felt something swoop making the air swish. She gritted her teeth. "Do you know who I am?!" She shouted. There was no reply.

"I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company!"

Again, no reply.

"And you won't get away with this!" She exclaimed. "My father is a powerful man! He will hunt you down and make you pay!"

That swishing sound stopped. Instead she heard something new. Something worse.

Chuckling.

" **Hehehe"**

That was the most malicious laugh she had ever heard. It didn't have any tone of sympathy or regret. Only malice and evil.

" **Did you hear that? Big daddy's going to get us."**

" **Let him try."**

" **He will not save you now."**

" **You're ours now."**

That was not the same voice. They were different but all sounded inhuman. Demonic was a better term.

Weiss trembled harder. She was alone, vulnerable, and unsure of what to do. She was used to people coming after her family but this was new. These… " _things"_ didn't care about her name or her back ground.

She turned and tried to run but that force returned and knocked her down again.

" **There is no escape."**

Every time she tried to stand she got knocked down again.

"Stop it!" cried Weiss.

She started crawling now. What else could she do. This seemed to work as she got farther than before. She felt like she could now start running and when she jumped up, she was knocked back down. She twirled on the ground and scattered in a new direction. Her dress was starting to tear and rip. Her palms and knees had scratches and drew some blood but she didn't care.

She kept crawling. She couldn't see ahead of her. Her eyes burned now as tears started to shed. They burned more and caused her to shut her eyes.

Now she was moving blindly, hoping to whatever celestial force that she could escape.

"Please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me, please help me." She whispered over and over. "I'm sorry for always being mean! Please just let me live! I promise to be a better person! I swear I'll be good from now on! I- ow"

She hit something. It was hard and painful that she rubbed he head. Slowly opening her eyes, they sprung wide when she saw it.

In front of her was figure in a black robe in a white opera mask. The thing was growling and towered over her like a giant over an ant.

" **Hello, I want to play a game."**

Weiss screamed and turned to run only to be pushed back down by another figure in a similar black robe and mask.

" **Want to take a swim in a pond?"**

She didn't know if this one was a male or female. Its voice was lighter than the other but it was so demonic.

Weiss jumped to the side and tried to get up but fell out of shock when a new figure jumped in front of her.

" **Greetings. You'd make a fascinating subject."**

Weiss couldn't utter a word. Only cries and chokings of sobs were the only thing she could muster.

"Please… just let me go."

All three figures tilted their heads to the side and chuckled menacingly.

" **I'm afraid that's not up to us."**

" **He is right."**

" **Your fate is for our leader to decide."**

As if on que, a new figure jumped behind her which jolted her to turn to the new figure's direction.

It was smaller than the others and Weiss didn't know why but she felt like that was a very bad sign.

" **Hello there, Heiress."** This voice sounded crueler than the others. There was no light in it and it sounded like her fate was already decided by that greeting.

The figure crouched down and examined Weiss's tearful face. It placed a hand on her cheek and tilt her head from side to side, inspecting it.

" **What a lovely girl. I wonder what to do with you."** It turned to its other companions. **"What do you all think?"**

" **We should play a game with her."**

" **We could take her for a swim in a pond."**

" **She would make a fine specimen to experiment on."**

Every option mentioned cause Weiss to whimper more and more. The figure leaned closer which caused Weiss to freeze.

" **I bet you're wondering something."** It said. **"You're wondering what's behind our masks."**

Weiss didn't move or say anything.

The thing waved over the others and they all moved behind their leader and crouched in front of Weiss.

" **If we show you, will you promise not to scream?"**

Weiss didn't respond.

" **Good. Well then… enjoy."**

Slowly each figure reached for their masks and one by one they took them off.

Weiss' eyes bulged as her lip quivered. These things… their faces were burned, scarred, cut, deformed, and repulsive. Parts of their faces were gone to reveal nothing but bone, muscle, tissue, and even maggots. No skin at all.

Weiss tried to look away but she couldn't. Not when she gazed into the leader's eyes.

Actually, there were no eyes at all. All she could see was pitch blackness in the sockets. It wasn't just her. The other three had the same all black eyes. She felt her heart race so intensely she feared she would die of fright.

Those eyes were staring into her soul. And they wanted it.

" **Now that you've seen us, we can put you out of your misery."** The leader pulled out a small knife and made sure Weiss could see it.

" **Or perhaps, we can make you one of us. Hehehe."** The other figures laughed as well.

Weiss violently shook her head no but the knife was coming closer.

The leader grinned wickedly. **"Alright then. LET'S PUT A SMILE ON THAT FACE!"** With blinding speed. The leader jabbed the Knife into Weiss's forehead.

There were no words to utter, no sounds to make, Weiss felt entirely empty as blackness consumed her.

 **(Music End)**

The three figures looked at one another and then back down to Weiss.

" **Um… did… did she?"**

" **I think she did."**

" **She actually fainted from fear."**

The leader nodded as she pulled the fake knife away and cradled Weiss' unconscious body. **"That worked out better than expected."**

" **Just hypothetically, what if she accidentally died from fright."**

" **Is that even possible?"**

" **I believe it is. Isn't it?"**

" **There are evidence to prove that theory correct."**

" **I told you we could have gotten expelled, Ruby."**

" **Alright cut the chatter."** The leader ordered. **"Also, revert back to your normal voices and eyes. You remember how right?"**

" **Of course."**

" **Yes."**

" **Mhm."**

One by one, the figures cleared their throat and closed their eyes. Then instead of black, lifeless pupils, magenta, red, and yellow replaced them.

"Goodness, that… felt weird." Recounted Ren.

Blake nodded as she blinked her eyes a couple times. "Indeed. But… it was rather interesting."

"I never knew there was a way to actually become one with the darkness and shadows." Adam commented.

"Good work everyone." Ruby praised. "You all seem to have mastered the Night eyes quite well." She slowly released Weiss and stood up. "Alright, let's go."

Ren, Blake, and Adam all exchanged looks.

"What about the others?" Blake asked.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"

Ren crossed his arms. "Aren't we going to take them with us?"

Their team leader shrugged. "I… never had to do that when I did this before."

"You mean you actually left those you scared passed out in the cold?" Adam interrogated.

"Don't be ridiculous." Scoffed Ruby. "… I placed them in a dumpster or someplace to keep the wind out."

Adam raised an eyebrow to Blake who shrugged as Ren sighed.

"We are taking them back to their rooms. That is final." Ren stated.

"Fine." Ruby agreed and bent back down to Weiss.

She gently picked her up and shook her head in annoyance as the heiress nuzzled into her. "Does anyone want to trade? Ren, I'm sure she would be happy if you did it."

Her partner gave an awkward smile as he walked away. "Sorry Ruby, but I have to go get Nora and Jaune. Those two are the heaviest and I feel bad for scaring Nora like that."

Gritting her teeth, Ruby followed the others and just tossed Weiss over her shoulder. "This girl is surprisingly light."

Within the hour, team RBTR was able to sneak themselves back into the academy, get the two respective teams, who were still unconscious, into their dorms, and returned to their room to remove their makeup.

"I have to admit, that was pretty fun." Adam commented as he sat on the floor near his bed. His face was rid of the makeup Ruby and Blake put on him and he was happily comfortable in his pajamas.

"It was." Agreed Ren who was also free of the make-up, as well as, in his sleeping attire. "Though I do feel bad for doing that to them."

"You weren't the only one." Blake added. "Even if I don't see eye to eye with some of them, I did feel a slight modicum of guilt. But the pleasure was there." She stretched her legs, which were now bare, and wrapped her kimono a little tightly as she sat on the floor as well.

"Overall I am happy to say that our Halloween plans were a success." Ruby applauded as she wiped her face with a towel. "I have confidence that we won't get caught. They will probably all think of it as a dream."

"More like a nightmare." Blake muttered.

"What about our equipment?" Ren wondered. "They're still there in the forest."

"We can get them tomorrow morning." Ruby answered. "It shouldn't be too much to worry about." She then smiled a little. "And you know something… it felt nice to… not be alone on my favorite holiday."

"Here, Here." Ren said.

"Adam and I only had Halloween together. But even then, we never got to have this much fun before." Blake commented.

Ruby smirked and crossed her arms. "Well it's not over yet." She turned to Adam. "Did you get them."

Adam scoffed with an amused look. "Of course I did." He stood up and walked to the closet and pulled out a box full of goodies. "I got the chocolate, candy, soda, plus diet for Ren, three pouches of popcorn with extra butter, and dvds of some classic Halloween specials."

Ren whistled impressed as Blake stared at the amazingness in front of her.

"Wait… something is missing." Ruby muttered.

"Oh yeah." Adam went to the fridge they had and pulled out a box. "I have the wings and hot dogs here. I'll heat them up."

"Now you have everything." Ruby chuckled.

Ren and Blake smiled at each other and as Adam returned to the floor.

"You know… overall we had a fun time… as a team. So… good job." Ruby extended a fist out. One by one, Blake, Adam, and Ren each added their own and formed a circle with their fists, lightly tapping each other.

"However, next year we have to do better. So, I was thinking we have to scare the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch."

Everyone chuckled and simply held that idea for next time. For now, they had food to eat and Halloween specials to watch.

"Happy Halloween to us." The simultaneously said.

 **I hope all you dark readers enjoyed this little side story. Let me know what you think. Your words are what I seek to read. Also, I hope you all had a great Halloween, and hope you don't get sick!**

 **P.S.: That writing from Ruby's book was actually a piece from my actual book that I am working on. So let me know what you guys think? :)**

 **Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Thanks so much for reading.**

 **Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore - FT**


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